A delegation of European Union Heads of Mission to Uganda, led by Ambassador Jan Sadek, has embarked on a three-day visit to the eastern city of Jinja.
This visit aims to assess ongoing EU co-funded projects and engage with local stakeholders, reinforcing the EU's commitment to supporting development in Uganda.
Upon arrival in Jinja, the diplomats held an initial meeting with the leadership of Jinja City and Jinja District at City Hall. Key topics of discussion included infrastructural challenges and the role of local governments in service delivery.
Jinja City Mayor Peter Kasolo urged the EU diplomats to consider directly funding projects at the local government level.
He highlighted that many essential services, such as road maintenance and waste management, are hampered by Uganda's centralized fiscal policies.
"We have a pseudo decentralization policy in Uganda, where local governments have no resources for service delivery because their local revenue is centralized," Kasolo remarked.
The mayor noted that Jinja boasts a road network of nearly 700 kilometers, with many roads—particularly in the newly annexed Northern Division—urgently needing repair.
He also raised concerns about the ongoing garbage disposal crisis, appealing to the EU delegation for assistance to prevent disasters like the recent garbage collapse in Kampala’s Kiteezi area.
Prossy Mutibwa, vice chairperson of Jinja District, who represented District Chairperson Moses Batwala, requested financial support to complete the stalled construction of the district's new headquarters.
"It has been three years since the inception of the city, and we are supposed to vacate our current premises in the city center, but construction has stalled," she explained.
The EU delegation will visit key projects in Jinja, including the Nalubaale-Kiira Power Dams, the Kiira Motors vehicle manufacturing plant, and the Senior Command and Staff College in Kimaka.
These visits will allow the diplomats to assess progress, identify challenges, and explore opportunities for further collaboration.
Local leaders expressed their gratitude to EU member states, including Estonia, Sweden, Germany, France, and the Netherlands, for their support on various projects.
Estonia has been assisting with garbage management, while Sweden has pledged to build a modern pediatric hospital at Nalufenya Children's Ward.
The EU ambassadors began their journey from Kampala to Jinja in style, boarding a passenger train to Mukono before completing the journey aboard a Ugandan-made Kiira electric bus, which they will use throughout their stay in Jinja.