The state of roads in Jinja municipality has left many residents wondering what has befallen a town that was once Uganda's second-largest city.

But authorities now say there is some help on the way, even if progress will be slow. Jinja residents who spoke to The Observer, said they had made numerous presentations to both local and the central government officials on the state of the roads without any response. And with the rains expected soon, the situation is expected to worsen.

"Apart from the Jinja-Iganga highway, which other road is good? Look at the Main street itself; you cannot believe these are the streets of [the once upon a time] an industrial town," said one citizen.

Some of the worst roads are Kirinya, Spire, Gabula, Ghokale west, Kutch west, Obojja, Eng Zikusooka and Obote. The streets that lead to the district headquarters and municipal council offices are also dreadful.

"It is sad plying the Jinja-Kamuli road popularly called Kadaga road," said Moses Wambi, a taxi driver who plies the Jinja-Kamuli road. "Whenever you make two routes on it, you will have to buy new shock absorbers. Some days I don't work because the taxi is in the garage."

For a town that boasts of big industries like Nile Breweries, Bidco, Steel Rolling Mills, and Leather and Tanning Industries, among others, Jinja would be expected to have better infrastructure. But even the roads leading to these industries, and to markets in the town, are in bad shape.

Nile Crescent, a road leading to the area ministry of Works offices and the Government National Fuel Reserves, is among the most neglected roads.

"Whenever rain falls, it becomes difficult to access the road. At times when the water covers the road, including the ditches, people fall inside the ditches because every inch is covered with water," said Hassan Muyonjo, who works along this road.

One resident, who preferred anonymity, advises the relevant authorities to investigate why Ugandan roads don't last long.

"They always waste taxpayers' money on regular repairs on some of the roads, but give them only three to six months you will find the same roads in deplorable state," he said.

Little funding:

Jinja Mayor Muhammad Baswari Kezaala admits that "some of" the roads in Jinja are terrible, but blames it on low funding from the central government.

"People should know that all municipalities, including Jinja, are given only Shs 1bn each financial year to work on their roads. This money is too little for Jinja town, where we have a radius of 85km of roads yet it requires Shs 400m to work on one kilometre," Kezaala says.

The mayor mentions Kirinya and Spire roads as among those in the worst shape. He says, however, that the earliest they could be repaired is in financial year 2015/2016 or 2016/2017.

"In the [last] financial year we managed to work on Iganga road and Waibale road," Kezaala told The Observer recently.

This financial year, the mayor says, the priority is to rehabilitate Nalufenya road, which leads to the Kampala - Jinja highway.

"We are expecting Shs 8bn from the World Bank through our central government. This money is meant for Nalufenya road, which is currently in a bad shape," Kezaala said.

But there is no such hope for Eng Zikusooka road. Kezaala says it cannot be rehabilitated soon because of some 7,000 vendors who were relocated from Jinja Central market, still under construction through a central government project.