DECEMBER OPENING IN SIGHT FOR ONDUPARAKA MARKET AFTER FUNDING DELAYS

The city authorities gathered at the market’s compound for inspection before sitting down for a brief meeting (Photo by Martin Anguyo)

By Martin Anguyo

Arua City

 Arua City authorities have scheduled the first week of December 2026 to commission the newly constructed Onduparaka Market, following the completion of 98 percent of the construction works. The project is expected to improve the working conditions of traders, provide a more organised trading environment and strengthen commercial activities in the area.

The Resident City Commissioner for Arua, Rtd Major Betty Akello Otekat, has called for constant supervision by stakeholders during the final stages of construction to ensure that the remaining works meet the required standards. Otekat emphasised the need for stakeholders to closely monitor the finishing works, noting that proper supervision is essential in ensuring that the completed facility serves its intended purpose. “From today, all of us should keep on visiting this place especially those who are concerned. Let’s keep on coming, regardless maybe some may say, I don’t have fuel or what but at least let’s keep on checking such that, some of the errors we have identified can be corrected as soon as possible” she said.

The Arua RCC (in brown cloth) leads stakeholders during inspection (Photo by Martin Anguyo)

Meanwhile, Okurut Vincent, the Arua City Town Clerk, has urged the contractor to expedite the remaining works and ensure that the project is completed according to the agreed specifications and expectations. “Try your best, make sure that, you finish this work well so that during commissioning, we don’t get issues” the town clerk emphasized.

However, the Arua City Engineer Charles Omona, who oversees the project, says the construction was initially expected to take six months but was affected by delays in the release of funds by the donor, which disrupted the implementation schedule. “The project was to close by February this year but as the project was ongoing, there were a lot of delays in the release of funds which has made the work reach this period” the engineer said.

The UGX 1.6 billion project, funded by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), was awarded to Ashanty Business Services Limited in 2025 to replace the dilapidated market with improved facilities aimed at transforming the trading environment and expanding economic opportunities for vendors and the surrounding community.

The current state of the market as it awaits December commissioning (Photo by Martin Anguyo)

Written by newsroom-radiopacis