Jinja RCC accuses Busoga business community of underrating govt opportunities

________________

Jinja Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Richard Gulume has accused Busoga residents of continually underrating government opportunities geared at uplifting their firms.

Gulume says it is a common practice for the region's residents to concentrate on identifying problems of a given government programme extended in the area instead of embracing them.

The RCC made the remarks during the Oil and Gas (O&G) Supply development workshop organised by the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) at the Nile Resort Hotel in Jinja city on February 27, 2026.

The Oil and Gas (O&G) Supply development workshop was organised by the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) at the Nile Resort Hotel in Jinja city on February 27, 2026. (Photo by Jackie Nambogga)

This was after Busoga Business Community (BBC) executive director Daniel Gabula Kyankone expressed concern over UNOC’s delay in updating them on the vast opportunities they would venture into for economic gains.

The workshop, according to UNOC chief operating officer Samantha Muhwezi, was aimed at giving updates regarding their ongoing oil pipeline project in Hoima, whose progress was at 78%.

Plans to upgrade storage terminal

She also announced their plans of upgrading the Jinja fuel storage terminal from its current 30 million-litre capacity to 40 million litres.

She added that UNOC would be developing the new Kampala Storage Terminal (KST) of 320 million-litre capacity to boost the country’s security supply.

Muhwezi said both projects, to be undertaken by Total Energies and Vivo Energy, would still require local firms to participate in doing civil construction work, environmental studies, service provision of logistics, transport, food and transportation of workers.

Accordingly, it is necessary to brief participants on the standards required in the O&G industry and explain why the Ugandan and international firms exist.

However, Kyankone castigated UNOC for delaying informing them of the oil pipeline project when it was near completion.

“The biggest business is in Hoima, you have told us that you hosted some leaders from Busoga without considering the business community, now we are wondering why at this stage you are coming this late to give us updates, yet it is about to be completed," Kyankole said.

He noted that the Jinja fuel reserves wouldn’t have much business compared to Hoima, which he said had a lot.

Busoga Business Community (BBC) executive director Daniel Gabula Kyankone making his remarks during the Oil and Gas (O&G) Supply development workshop organised by the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC). (Photo by Jackie Nambogga)

However, Gulume noted that whatever government programme comes, people were fond of starting at the periphery.

He appealed to Busoga king (Kyabazinga) William Gabula Nadiope to come out and address such mindsets for the subjects to tap into government projects extended in the region.

“This is a common practice in Busoga; we always find a problem whenever there is an opportunity, which has partly kept the region backwards,” he said.

Gulume urged the business community to be steadfast in capturing opportunities by being good ambassadors to inform the rest of what was available and progress.

However, at the city council level, Gulume lamented the heavy trailers loaded with fuel, which had grossly damaged their roads.

“Before, a road would carry 10 vehicles a day but following the reconstruction of the fuel reservoir, have since registered a lot of traffic flow of trucks loaded with fuel coming in and out which are affecting our roads that were built in 1960’s, we need to have a discussion on how we can be supported to improve our road infrastructure,” he said.