Jinja City needs Shs36 billion to fix 'worst road'

Authorities in Jinja City say at least Shs36 billion is needed to fix one of its worst roads.

The road stretches for about eight kilometers from Engineer Dhikusooka Road to Walukuba-Masese Landing Site, and leads to most factories in Jinja City.  The road has never been considered by the government for reconstruction.

Jinja Deputy City Town Clerk, Mr Peter Mawerere, says due to the poor status of the road, revenue collection at Masese Landing Site has significantly reduced to a paltry Shs2.5m monthly.

This is despite the existence of over 7,000 vendors dealing in various agricultural produce from Mayuge, Buvuma, and Namyaigo districts.

According to Mr Mawerere, engineers who carried out the Bill of Quantity to reconstruct the road have quoted Shs36 billion, which includes street lights, drainage system, and walkways, among other amenities. 

Mr Mawerere said the road is important for the development of the area that has endured its bad state for over 20 years.

Mr Mawerere was on May 15 addressing the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture and Animal Husbandry led by its Chairperson, Ms Janet Okori Moe, who is also the Abim District Woman Member of Parliament.

The legislators were in the area to assess the effects of the rising water level.

Mr Mawerere said fishing activities have been affected by illegal fishing by the fishermen hence the need to develop the area to provide opportunities in other business enterprises.  

Jinja South East Member of Parliament, Mr Nathan Igeme Nabeta, said the committee has heard and physically seen the poor nature of the road leading to the biggest landing site in the region and residents expect a lot from the leaders.

Jinja South Division Mayor, Mr Nasser Ashraf, said the poor nature of the road has affected the transportation of goods from factories and revenue collection.

Mr Nasser said the road has become impassable, especially during rainy seasons, yet it is one of the roads that education institutions use to access Masese Landing Site for fieldwork studies.

Mr Robert Kyabadde, a boda boda rider at Masese Landing Site, said all roads surrounding the factories are equally in a bad state and need to be worked on.

He said because of the poor status of the road, some of his colleagues have relocated from Masese Landing Site to areas with better roads.

Ms Evelyn Nasuuna, a trader  dealing in sweet bananas at Ambercourt market, said she used to buy bananas from the Landing Site, but for the past two years, boda boda riders no longer want to carry heavy things on their motorcycles.

Background

In 2013, residents of Walukuba-Masese Division protested the appalling state of the road, and accused the leadership of then Jinja municipality Mayor, Mohammed Baswari Kezaala, of allegedly failing to maintain the roads in Jinja Industrial Area.

The residents claimed Walukuba, Scot, Factory and Tobacco Roads were budgeted for in the 2011/2012 financial year budget, but were not maintained that whole year.

Mr Kezaala, however, shifted blame to the leadership of then Walukuba-Masese Division, which is the current Jinja South Division in Jinja City.

According to him, at least 18 roads were under repair after they were included in the 2012/2013 financial year.

The failure to fix the road has proven catastrophic. In November 2018, two bodies were retrieved from a trench in Masese Village after being swept away by flash floods following heavy rains.

Jinja City is currently working on the rehabilitation of five roads at a cost of Shs16 billion funded by Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID).
They include: Clive Road and Clerk Road (1.8kms), Bell Avenue East and West (1.446kms) and completion of Busoga Avenue (0.75km)

Jinja City has a total of about 505kms of road network, including 20km in the Southern Division and 300km in the Northern Division among others.

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