According to a May 5 letter from Central Division, Wakenya Handcraft were authorised to use the area.

The letter shows that the Kenyans paid sh100,000 and were allowed to exhibit in the space on Main Street from May 6 to May 13.

However, on the first day, members of the Jinja Craft Traders Association stormed the ground and threatened to destroy the Kenyans' goods if they did not leave.

In a letter to the division authorities, they advised the Kenyans to sell their products to them (Jinja traders).

"The craft traders claim we should have consulted them before but in other areas where we have operated such as Mbarara and Kampala, we get permission from the town councils not fellow traders, said Jane Kagri, the group leader.

"We spent over sh2m organising this fair. We paid security and hotels expensively and now they are evicting us. Someone even tried to solicit a sh250,000 bribe from us."

This was last week at a meeting with division LC3 chairman Mubarak Kirunda at Kakindu centre. By press time, the matter was yet to be resolved.