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Paper short abstract

Urban markets in Kampala struggle with poor infrastructure and governance.The study emphasizes the need for improved governance and sustainable infrastructure development, suggesting public-private partnerships as a solution to these challenges in Africa.

Paper long abstract

Urban markets in Kampala are key to its economy and social life, but they face challenges as poor infrastructures, poor service provision, and service maintenance that prevents them to develop sustainably. These obstacles are based on the variations in the governance structures of market ownership and management. Publicly owned markets tend to be inefficient, while privately owned markets may prioritize profit over the public interest. This is further worsened by lack of resources and regulation loopholes in Kampala. The detailed comparison of the public and the private market models is necessary to understand how the governance affects the deficiencies in operations and to inform the policy interventions to improve the infrastructure performance, equity, and sustainability.

The study aims to examine how different governance regimes affect the operations of the urban markets in Kampala. It particularly aims to: investigate the formal and informal governance systems that govern these markets; evaluate the impact of difference in governance on the performance of market infrastructure and also offer evidence-based suggestions on how to enhance governance arrangements to create an inclusive and sustainable market infrastructure.

The research focuses on a qualitative, comparative cased design in Kampala city focusing on three markets that reflect different governance regimes, and conditions of the infrastructure. (Kalerwe- a private market/KCCA recognized, Ggaba -a private market, and Nakawa -a government-led market). This research seeks to illuminate urban governance issues in Africa. It will offer practical recommendations for public-private governance models aimed at sustainable market upgrading.