There will often be a number of traders around the edges of the market too. For example, in Jinja, the market is totally enclosed behind brick and corrugated iron walls, but the pavements around it are full of traders too. They tend to group into specialists, with all the towel sellers together, clothing somewhere else, and the poorer traders in the least favourable area.
In other areas, markets pop up where ever people meet, such as along river banks and at crossing points on lakes.
Be warned that you may see things that don't go well with a Western sense of normality. You will see the reality of poverty on display, with young children selling recycled cardboard and plastic drink bottles, and disabled people selling whatever they can find or simply sitting and begging for alms.
Shopping at stalls and in markets can be daunting for some people because haggling, or negotiating a price, is a new experience. In Western cultures our shopping has become an impersonal experience where we select goods on our own and often don't even talk to the checkout girl. Buying from a market stall is different, requiring you to enter into a conversation, greet the seller, negotiate a price etc. It may seem a bit frightening but, if it does, be brave. Once you discover the fun of shopping from small stalls, you will be one step closer to being part of Uganda and understanding both the country and its people.
When buying from stalls and markets its best to have coins and low value notes of 1000 and 5000 shillings because the seller is unlikely to have change for higher value notes. It's also advisable to follow a few simple rules about health and hygiene, and be aware that not everything with a recognisable trade name will be the genuine article.
Ugandan markets and stalls are vibrant, exciting and full of potential for you to part with your money, but do think before you buy. Fresh fruits and vegetables are usually perfectly safe for even the most delicate stomach if you wash or peal them first. A possible problem comes from melons and other watery fruit being injected with water to make them more juicy, but this is rare.
Meat, on the other hand, is a risky item to buy unless you know what you are doing. Animals are slaughtered and butchered, and the meat is prepared and stored in un-refrigerated conditions. In markets you will see meat hanging up for sale under the mid-day sun, and it will probably be swarming with flies.
If you have lived in Africa for some time and developed the necessary immunity to stomach bugs, buying meat from a stall may not be an issue for you, but if you are a new arrival it is best to stay well away from meat unless you have seen, and approved of, the conditions of it's slaughter and storage. Remember that if you do get a stomach bug you are unlikely to have access to a hospital or doctor unless you are near a large city. Violent spasms, vomiting and a fever aren't much fun, so be sensible and buy only food that you trust.
Uganda has plenty of fake branded goods, from traveler's cheque's to padlocks, but just because its a fake doesn't mean it's no good. Just remember that if you buy a Yale padlock for a tenth of what it should cost, its almost certainly a Chinese fake. It will still work fine to lock your door, but it probably wont be as good as the real thing.
Don't feel the need to ask stall holders whether the goods are genuine; everyone knows they aren't if the price clearly doesn't match the price of the real items. Accept the fakes for what they are, and use your common sense.
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