More than 3,500 vendors operating at Amber Court Farmers’ Market in Jinja City are set to be relocated to pave the way for the expansion and operationalisation of Jinja Airfield, raising uncertainty over the future of one of eastern Uganda’s busiest fresh produce markets.
The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) has directed Jinja City Council to relocate the market within three months, saying its continued operation poses safety risks and could affect the licensing and future operations of the upgraded aerodrome.
Amber Court Farmers’ Market occupies a 4.5-acre piece of land owned by the Ministry of Defence along the Jinja–Mbulamuti–Bukungu Road.
The market borders Jinja Airfield on one side and Gaddafi Barracks on the other.
It serves as a major trading hub for fresh agricultural produce, including matooke, green vegetables and Irish potatoes, attracting traders from Kampala, Mukono, Buikwe, Mbale, Buvuma, Budaka and other parts of the country.
In a letter to Jinja City authorities, UCAA Director of Airports and Aviation Security, Ayub Sooma, said the land currently occupied by the market is required to complete the upgrading of the runway, taxiway and apron at Jinja Airfield.
Sooma also warned that waste generated by the market attracts birds, wildlife and domestic animals, creating a potential hazard to aircraft operations.
He said the market’s continued presence contravenes Regulations 272(4) and (5) of the Civil Aviation (Aerodromes) Regulations, 2022, and could jeopardize the certification and operation of the aerodrome once the upgrade is completed.
UCAA has requested that the market be relocated within 90 days to allow completion of the remaining civil works and the construction of the airport’s perimeter fence in compliance with the Civil Aviation (Security) Regulations, 2022.
By Our Reporter
9th July 2026
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