Jinja City mayor Al Hajj Abdulhafidh Nagaya on Tuesday paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Local Government Dr. Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi’s Office.
Accompanied by Moses Grace Balyeku, the former Jinja West Member of Parliament (MP), Nagaya was welcomed by Balaam who congratulated him on his election and pledged to work closely with the city leadership.
‘’Earlier this morning, I met the Mayor-Elect of Jinja City, who was accompanied by Hon. Moses Balyeku. I pledged to work closely with the city leadership to ensure that Jinja continues to shine as one of Uganda’s leading cities through improved service delivery, investment promotion, and sustainable development’’, Balaam posted on his X platform shortly after the meeting.
He added; ‘’Together, we shall make Jinja City even greater’’.
Speaking to our reporter on phone, Nagaya said the discussion centered on sourcing for extra funding for the City which offers premier economic and investment opportunities in tourism, manufacturing, agro-processing, and real estate.
The meeting was also attended by Ben Kumumanya, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government.
As Uganda’s designated strategic industrial city under Vision 2040 and the second-largest economy in the country after Kampala, Jinja leverages its position at the source of the River Nile to drive robust regional trade and adventure-based tourism
Situated along the Trans-African Highway just 80 KM east of Kampala, Jinja functions as a primary trade hub for eastern Uganda and cross-border commerce.
Since taking office, the new administration has focused heavily on the rehabilitation of local roads to improve trade, mobility, and economic growth.
Nagaya has also pledged a strong crackdown on land grabbing and corruption, while advocating for improved accountability in city service delivery.
Jinja City requires extra funding to repair dilapidated road networks, expand tourism infrastructure, and improve public sanitation/waste management. Local leadership are actively seeking supplementary support from key stakeholders to address these pressing needs.
