By Kabuye Ronald
The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has no plans of demolishing the St. Balikuddembe Market commonly known as Owino Market.
This assurance was given after Members of Parliament expressed fears on the future of the 55-year market.
The KCCA Executive Director, Sharifah Buzeki made this assurance while appearing before the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) to respond to queries arising from the Auditor General’s report for the 2024/2025 financial year. The meeting was chaired by Hon. Medard Sseggona on Friday, 27 March 2026.
Buzeki said KCCA’s current focus is on improving the market’s infrastructure rather than demolishing it.
“We have plans to make improvements because the market is ageing; in our strategic plans, we have no plans to demolish Owino as alleged. We have engaged with traders and told them in the event we receive funds for its development, we will engage them even on issues such as designs and structure,” she said.
Buzeki highlighted areas that need urgent rehabilitation with those affected by leakages being priority.
“There are dozens of areas in need of improvement. The chicken area is leaking, the vegetable area and several others need improvement. For now, we can go in and fix those repairs which cannot wait for the overall improvement,” she added.
She also revealed that that KCCA has since taken over ownership of the market land from the former tenant, St. Balikuddembe Market Stalls, Space and Lock-ups Shop Owners Association (SSLOA).
The legislators’ concerns arose from recent media reports of demolition of parts of the market which they said had caused anxiety among traders.
Hon. Richard Sebamala (DP, Bukoto County Central) said traders fear a potential takeover by private developers.
“Owino traders are now living in fear; that the market will one day be taken over by a private developer just like the Nakivubo channel. Do you have it in your strategic plan to remove Owino market?” Sebamala asked adding that, ‘do we even still have the land? What is the total acreage on which Owino sits?’.
Committee Chairperson, Sseggona said the committee said there was an outcry from traders who required assurances from the KCCA. He tasked KCCA to provide documentation on the ownership of the market land and whether due process was followed in taking it over.
“As an institution charged with public protection, we are raising legitimate questions on land ownership. We want to know if you took over the land, did you compensate the former tenant, and if you did, produce evidence,” Sseggona said.
Mawokota County South MP, Hon. Yusuf Nsibambi added that disputes surrounding the Owino land are longstanding, tracing them back to the tenure of the former market operator, St. Balikuddembe Market Stalls, Space and Lock-ups Shop Owners Association (SSLOA), which he said had overstepped its mandate and mismanaged the facility.
