Lack of vehicles frustrating Jinja city yellow fever vaccination

JINJA - The Jinja City Council says it is grappling with a lack of enough vehicles for the transportation of health workers to effectively implement the mass yellow fever vaccination exercise in the area.

The campaign, which kicked off on September 30, runs till October 6, 2025, and is conducted by the health ministry, taking place in 16 selected districts, including the Jinja city council in Busoga and Mubende regions.

However, Jinja city principal officer, maternal child health Josephine Awori says they are boasting of a few vehicles, which were frustrating their staff’s efforts to move from one place to another.

Previous system 

Speaking to New Vision Online, Awori attributed this to the previous system of still receiving financial support under the initial composition of the three divisions under Jinja municipality.

The municipality used to comprise Mpumudde/Kimaka, Walukuba/Masese and Jinja central divisions.

Since most of the districts were rural, the system treated the then three divisions as sub-counties.

Even when the municipality widened its scope during the agitation for a city status by incorporating Bugembe town council, including Mafubira and Budondo sub-counties for purposes of attracting the required population, Awori said they were getting support from the finance ministry under the initial boundaries.

As a result, the three entities of Budondo, Mafubira and Bugembe were incorporated into Jinja city northern division, while the then Mpumudde/Kimaka and Walukuba/Masese divisions formed the Jinja city southern division.

However, Awori said they were still receiving support for the three initial divisions of the then municipality, yet apparently, they boasted six under the previous structure, with each standing on its own.

The two divisions were now being considered as sub-counties, forgetting that they had become very huge.

Of the 10 vehicles needed to undertake the exercise, Awori says they only have five, which is frustrating their efforts.

Nakamatte (L) and civil servants lining up to be vaccinated against yellow fever at the Jinja district headquarters on Wednesday. (Credit: Jackie Nambogga)

She said that at least all six entities, as per the previous structures of Mpumudde/Kimaka, Walukuba/Masese and Jinja central divisions, including Bugembe town council, Mafubira and Budondo sub-counties, would each have one vehicle to ably transport their health workers, while the rest would be for supervision.

“We realised from the previous health campaigns that when you transport health workers, they get motivated to work although their allowances are expected after the exercise, which is challenging as somebody may not have money at hand,” she said.

Even if they secured more vehicles, Awori cited the burden of fuelling them because this was not budgeted for.

Instead, she said they shifted their hope to their partners like mother-2-mother, Uganda Health Activity (UHA), Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and BACHI, who had so far provided vehicles.

She said others were not ready as they were conducting their routine activities, and that even those who came in were concluding business at 5:00pm when they were still in the field.

Beyond the said time, she said even their staff were struggling with how to return their gadgets.

“Other items were being left in the field; it has been a very nasty situation because of the mess we have encountered,” she said.

Good response

However, there was some good response at the Jinja city southern division health centre III and Kunar Rushukuber, 34, of Lubas road in Jinja city, said her nature of business involved travelling abroad and therefore, it was paramount for her to be vaccinated and acquire its travel card.

Benjamin Isabirye, 60, of Spire Road in Jinja, southern division, said he turned up for the shot because he frequently travels outside Uganda.

“The yellow fever card is a prerequisite, and this is why I have turned up to be vaccinated,” he said.

Similarly, Jinja district also launched its exercise at the district headquarters on Wednesday, where it targeted its civil servants at the venue.

Tony Mutibwa, the district health educator, said the staff were within the targeted age group of one to 60 years, and because of their busy schedule, they decided to take it closer to their workplace.

Lillian Nakamatte, the chief administrative officer (CAO), warned the public to desist from hiding but embrace it to boost their immunity as a measure of guarding against the disease, whose cure after encountering it was not there.

Meanwhile, assistant Jinja resident district commissioner George William Bameka, who officiated at the launch, warned against any negative attributes to the vaccines, saying it was safe.