Jinja District is located in the South-eastern part of Uganda. It is a relatively small district found east of the Nile River and along the northern shores of Lake Victoria. Jinja District has an area of 767.7sq Km of which 701.9 sq km is land and the rest (65.8 Sq km) is covered by water bodies.
The district is subdivided into 3 counties namely, Butembe, Kagoma and Jinja Municipality. There are 6 Sub-Counties; 46 Parishes and 381 villages. Jinja Municipality has three sub-counties and 55 villages. Jinja District is bordered by Kamuli District to the north, Luuka District to the east, Mayuge District to the southeast, Buvuma District to the south, Buikwe District to the west and Kayunga District to the Northwest. Bujagali Property Agency searches for properties in all the above districts.
Jinja is a major commercial and industrial centre and the second largest city in Uganda located at 1,143 meters above sea level and 87 km east of the capital, Kampala. Jinja Town is the municipal and commercial centre of Jinja District. The climate is warm and humid due to the location on the shores of Lake Victoria and the Nile River.
URBAN STRUCTURE.
The town layout can be attributed to a variety of European, Indian and African influences. The city center reflects a mixed influence of Western and Indian architecture and consists largely of low density commercial buildings laid out in a grid. Many buildings are old but these are slowly being replaced with new ones. Most businesses are one-story shops, complemented by a new larger raises and a sprawling market. Because of the low-density city plan, streets are wide and there are many open spaces around the buildings.
LAND USE
A big portion of Jinja is still agricultural or undeveloped. A portion of this undeveloped land is abandoned industries that have the potential to be revitalized and renovated into new industries. Developed land is divided between residences, industries and business, public, and government owned land.
Jinja Municipal Council owns about 30 percent of the land in Jinja, Uganda Land Commission 10 percent, Institutions 7 percent, leased public land 4 percent and private individuals 49 percent.
Most of the housing efforts in Jinja in the colonial era focused on providing accommodation for the public servants and the elite group of Asians and Europeans. The planning activities focused on segregating the residential areas of the Asians, the Europeans and the Ugandans. The initial intervention of government in the housing sector was through projects like the ones in Walukuba and Masese, which were meant for industrial workers.
Most of the housing interventions for low income earners are initiated by the community themselves. The role of the local government is limited to providing land and technical support for these housing schemes. The communities take initiative to develop their own programmes, depending on the local resources and fund and negotiate with local government, NGOs and CBOs for support. The Savings schemes, formed and run by the community, are one of the most important initiatives today in urban areas of Uganda that addresses urban poverty and helps in achieving housing goals..
REAL ESTATE
World over, the real estate business is growing fast, and Uganda is no exception. More property agents and companies have come up in response to the growing demand at hand.
Professionals like quantity surveyors, architects, civil engineers and valuation surveyors have gained popularity due to this growth in the housing sector. This is equally reflected by the rise in mortgage facilities offered by banks.
REGAINING GLORY
Over the last two decades or so, Jinja has been experiencing a re-birth. Major infrastructural development has taken place in form of two new power dams, reconstruction of roads and a new suspension bridge that hangs over the waters of the Nile. Another very important economic activity is tourism with a lot of domestic tourism taking place in Jinja. Many former residences have been redeveloped into hotels, as have new ones been built. Jinja is now arguably one of the most pleasurable places to be in Uganda.
FACTORIES
In May 2019, The President of Uganda commissioned 10 new factories in Jinja and Buikwe districts as part of his wealth and job creation campaign.
According to the Investment minister, the new factories will help reduce Uganda’s trade deficit which stands at about $2.9 billion. The factories included Modern Laminates Limited, which produces pulp and paper, and Nile Agro Industries Limited, which is engaged in processing and refining of vegetable cooking oil. Others were Auromeera Industries (U) Limited, which manufactures plastic and chemical products such as solid and sodium silicate; MMP industrial park, Buikwe, Shree Modern Textiles Limited, Modern distilleries Limited, Nile Aluminum Limited, Nile batteries Ltd and Nile transformers Limited.
CITY
The Ugandan Cabinet approved creation of nine cities, five of which will become operational on July 1, 2020. They include Jinja, Arua, Gulu, Fort Portal, and Mbarara. Hoima and Mbale will become cities in July 2021.
The move is part of a government plan to turn the municipalities into regional cities, with Fort Portal, Mbarara and Hoima being regional cities in western Uganda; Entebbe in the central region; Lira, Arua and Gulu in northern region while Mbale and Jinja cities will serve the eastern region. A budget of Shs130b will be set aside for the operationalisation of the cities after meeting all the requirements.