Africa-Press – Uganda. The ongoing road works on five major roads in Jinja City have left several shops closed and hundreds of people jobless.
The works are on Clive Road and Clerk Road (1.89kms), Bell Avenue East and West (1.446kms), completion of Busoga Avenue (0.75kms), traffic signaling, and drainage works (1.782kms).
Mr Peter Okocha Kasolo, the Jinja City Mayor, says the aforementioned roads are being constructed by Zhongmei Engineering Group Ltd at a total of Shs16b, funded by the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development (USMID)-Additional Funding (AF) batch 2 Cluster 4.
The works have, however, left many shops, including one owned by Ms Farida Nakito on Clive Road, closed.
“We are hardly making money because of the ongoing construction works on Clive Road and Clerk Road,” Ms Nakito said, suggesting that an evening market be opened for them until the construction works are completed.
Ms Hadija Nabatanzi, who sells clothes, says some of her colleagues have decided to stop turning up to work, while other shops that remain closed are only opened to a few or no customers.
Ms Mary Namuli, who operates a stationery shop on Clive Road, says she is faced with lack of accessibility by customers to her shops, and too much dust, adding that the constructor tries to water the road, but not often.
The LC1 chairperson Main Street East Ward Cell, Mr Henry Batambuze, says the business community operating along the roads under construction is facing challenges.
“The truth is people are being inconvenienced because customers lack access to shops as the contractor is working on the drainage systems,” Mr Batambuze said, adding that some people have relocated to streets which are not undergoing any construction works.
Ms Pamela Orishaba, who sells beef, says her customers have reduced because they cannot access the butcher.
The vendors’ woes have been worsened by the introduction of a trade order, banning them from operating on all streets, but to occupy the vacant stalls in the central market.
Mr Patrick Balikowa, the Defence of the market, says the situation in the market is “not good”, adding that some areas are dark and scare away customers.
“Jinja City Council should give us an evening market from 4pm to 7pm because people are not making money but filling the market with numbers,” Mr Balikowa said.
He added: “Some of these vendors were just forced to occupy stalls inside the market which cannot be accessed by buyers given the way the market was constructed, which the council is aware of.”
According to Mr Balikowa, vendors are also demanding for an evening market on the streets in order to meet dues that council expects from the business community.
“The vendors are in position to meet the dues once the council grants their request to have an evening market every day and on Sundays from morning until evening,” he added.
Mr Edrisa Bugembe, the acting chairperson of produce in the market, says vendors are demanding for an evening market on the streets because the market was constructed in a way “that favours fewer customers”.
“Council did not plan well in implementation of the trade order. The youths hustling on the streets lack where to operate their businesses; council could have allocated a place for them before the evictions,” said Mr Bugembe.
Ms Esther Badembe, who sells shoes, says buyers are not accessing some of the stalls in the market because of the darkness, adding that even if they are directed to where they can get what they are looking for, they just turn away.
Jinja South Division Mayor, Mr Ashraf Nasser, says there is nothing the council can do for the vendors regarding their request for an evening market.
“The trade order implementation cannot be revised unless the council sits and makes resolutions to that effect,” he said in a brief comment.
ENDS
Caption: Ongoing construction works on Clive Road East in Jinja City on August 15, 2023. Several shops remain closed, while hundreds of people are out of jobs. PHOTO/PHILIP WAFULA
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