The business community along Oboja Road in Jinja City has raised concern over the deteriorating state of the road, warning that it is increasingly affecting business operations, customer access and profitability.
Oboja Road, situated in the heart of Jinja's central business district, is one of the city's busiest commercial routes. The stretch hosts numerous hardware shops dealing in construction materials, alongside a variety of wholesale and retail businesses serving customers from across the region.
Due to the nature of the businesses located along the road, it experiences constant traffic from heavy trucks transporting goods to and from the area.
However, years of heavy usage and inadequate maintenance have left the road riddled with potholes, dust and uneven surfaces, frustrating traders, local leaders and road users.
Business owners say the poor state of the road has contributed to a decline in customer numbers, as accessibility becomes increasingly difficult.
Others report losses resulting from damage to goods during transportation.
Daniel Wako, the General Secretary of LC I Oboja Road Cell in Jinja Southern Division, said repeated appeals to authorities have yielded little progress.
"We have written several letters to the city authorities and the Ministry of Works, but nothing has been done. The road is full of potholes, yet it hosts many hardware shops and generates significant revenue for the city. We want the authorities to give it priority," Wako said.
The concerns were highlighted during the official opening of the Goodwill Ceramics showroom in Jinja City, where members of the business community renewed calls for urgent government intervention.
Puyish Kotecha, Chairperson of the Indian Community in Jinja and Managing Director of Sun Silk Hardware, said the poor condition of the road is increasing operational costs for businesses.
"Our trucks frequently break down because of the bad road, which increases maintenance costs. Some customers are opting to buy from other traders simply to avoid the inconvenience of using Oboja Road," Kotecha said.
He added that despite several engagements with city leaders, no tangible action has been taken to address the problem.
Kotecha said the issue extends beyond individual businesses, warning that the road's condition is affecting the wider commercial environment in Jinja City.
Viking Ren, Marketing Supervisor at Goodwill Ceramics, noted that the nature of their products makes them particularly vulnerable to losses caused by poor transport conditions.
"We deal in fragile products such as tiles, and we sometimes incur losses when they break during transportation because of the poor state of the road," Ren said.
Despite the challenges, Kotecha and Ren said the decision to open a Goodwill Ceramics showroom in Jinja forms part of a broader strategy to bring services closer to customers in Eastern Uganda while supporting local economic growth.
They also encouraged consumers to support locally manufactured products under the Buy Uganda, Build Uganda (BUBU) initiative, noting that their ceramic tiles are produced within the country.
Traders along Oboja Road are now urging Jinja City authorities to prioritise rehabilitation of the road, arguing that improved infrastructure would ease business operations, enhance accessibility and boost economic activity within the city's commercial centre.
City leaders have on several occasions acknowledged the poor state of Oboja Road and indicated that its rehabilitation remains part of the city's infrastructure plans. However, they have cited limited financial resources as a major obstacle to implementation.
Business owners say they are hopeful that the government's pre-financing road infrastructure programme, expected to take effect in the next financial year, will provide the resources needed for rehabilitation.
Under Pre-finacing approach, the contractors implement work using their own funds and payments are made later during or upon completion of the project.
This intervention is intended to address the persistent delays in road works caused by phased funding and bureaucratic disbursement procedures, which have negatively impacted business activity, mobility, and overall urban productivity within the city.
The policy will prioritise key commercial and residential roads within Jinja City that are in poor condition and critical to economic activity.
Through pre-financing, contractors will be required to commence work immediately upon contract award, adhering to strict timelines and quality standards set by the city authorities and relevant government agencies.
This approach is expected to improve efficiency in project execution, reduce prolonged disruptions, and ensure faster delivery of durable road infrastructure to support trade, tourism, and service delivery.
Oboja Road is among the roads earmarked for improvement under the proposed arrangement.