Jinja Road stalls spotlight
A March 27 feature of Jinja Road stalls by Mabira Forest highlights roasted chicken, famous Rolex wraps, nyama choma, maize, 'gonja' and fresh fruit — a compact, adventurous roadside menu for Uganda visitors. (x.com)
Najjembe roadside market sits on the edge of Mabira Forest about 500 metres north of the Kampala–Jinja main road, with the forest 54 km from Kampala and roughly 20 km from Jinja. (ugandatourismcenter.com) The Najjembe stop is regularly featured in travel vlogs and local tour pages as a common pause point for Kampala–Jinja road trips and day tours through Mabira Forest. (youtube.com) The Ministry of Works and Transport announced a second phase of emergency resurfacing for the Mabira stretch on June 16, 2025, following a December 2024 intervention that rehabilitated more than one kilometre. (nilepost.co.ug) Funding and contractor delays have dogged the corridor: ENACO Construction was reported unpaid for maintenance work with outstanding claims of Shs50 billion as of a January 9, 2025 article. (monitor.co.ug) A larger rehabilitation contract awarded in 2020 to Serbian firm Energoprojekt—valued at Shs82 billion and started in July 2021—stalled before completion, while Energo Projekt (on-site) and engineers flagged a 3‑kilometre stretch between Kigombya and Namawojjolo as needing urgent work and new culverts. (nilepost.co.ug) Authorities warned that traffic will be restricted to one lane during the Mabira works and recommended heavy vehicles use the Mukono–Kyetume–Katosi–Kisoga–Nyenga/Njeru detour while light vehicles follow Njeru–Kayunga–Mukono or Kalagi–Gayaza alternatives. (nilepost.co.ug) Local officials recorded safety impacts on nearby communities during the road deterioration and maintenance period, including reports that five boda‑boda riders were killed in Najjembe Division as motorists tried to avoid potholes. (monitor.co.ug)
