Court Orders Kabale Municipal Council to Pay Shs100M Over Unlawful Trader Evictions

The High Court in Kabale District yesterday ordered Kabale Municipal Council to pay general damages totaling 100 million Shillings, after it was found culpable of illegally evicting traders and demolishing Old Kabale Central Market lock-ups. The evictions were carried out to pave the way for the construction of the new multibillion-Shilling central market.

Justice Samuel Emokor ruled that the 100 million Shillings award be shared among the 50 plaintiffs for loss of expected revenue and the inconvenience resulting from the actions of Kabale Municipal Council. Justice Emokor stated that Kabale Municipal Council breached the clauses of the Memorandum of Understanding with the plaintiffs, but acknowledged the difficulty in ordering the council to return the plaintiffs to their original contractual positions.

The traders, under the Kabale Central Market Traders Association, had petitioned the court seeking orders to ensure that owners of multiple lock-up shops could retain their units until their leases expired. They had also sought priority for all existing lock-up owners to occupy the ground-floor units of the new market. Speaking to our reporter, the Chairman of Kabale Central Market Lock-up Shop Owners, Rev. Can. Jack Katarishangwa, welcomed the ruling, saying it would provide some remedy for the losses incurred due to the illegal evictions.