By Andrew Irumba Katusabe
FORT PORTAL CITY- It’s squiky-bum-time in Fort Portal City as authorities appear to be racing against time to clean up Kabundaire Main Fresh Food Market ahead of an inspection by Minister of Local Government Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, who has warned city leaders to urgently improve conditions at the market.
Our Spy Cameras on Tuesday captured what appears to be an unusual cleanup operation at Kabundaire, where heaps of garbage were being covered with soil and sand instead of being completely removed.
The development comes barely days after Minister Balaam directed Fort Portal City authorities to urgently improve the market, including removing accumulated rubbish and waste, constructing a public toilet and laying murram on the market grounds.
In a letter dated July 30, 2026, addressed to the Fort Portal City Town Clerk, Balaam directed that the improvement of Kabundaire Main Fresh Food Market be treated as an “emergency priority.”
The Minister further stated that he would be in Fort Portal on August 15, 2026, to inspect the progress of the special project, and consequently expected “substantial progress” by that date.
But rather than hauling away the accumulated garbage, our cameras yesterday captured city workers apparently heaping sand over the waste, raising questions about whether the exercise is intended to genuinely clean the market or simply make the garbage less visible ahead of the Minister’s visit.
Trying to bury the evidence?
The hurried operation has raised fresh questions among residents and market stakeholders, particularly regarding the city’s previous expenditure on garbage collection.
There are concerns that if the garbage has not actually been collected despite funds allegedly being spent on the exercise, simply burying it under soil could conceal the problem rather than solve it.
The move also comes at a time when Minister Balaam is reportedly in Mbarara City, where he has been taking action against several government officials over suspected corruption and mismanagement.
Our Spy understands that the Minister’s actions in Mbarara have sent a strong message to officials elsewhere, including those in Fort Portal.
With Balaam expected in Fort Portal on August 15, city leaders now appear to be scampering to put their house in order.
However, our Spy has already passed on the tip: the garbage may have been covered, but it has not necessarily disappeared.
If the Minister chooses to inspect the site beyond the surface or, metaphorically, picks up a hoe and digs, he may find out whether the rubbish was actually removed or merely buried.
The bigger question remains: Who authorised the garbage collection expenditure, how much was spent, and where did the garbage go?
For now, Kabundaire’s garbage may be under the soil, but the questions surrounding its management are far from buried. Watch the space….
