Category: Daily Monitor

A couple was killed in a road crash on Thursday evening along the Kisoro-Kabale Highway in Kisoro District, police confirmed.

The fatal crash occurred around 6:20 PM opposite Airland Hotel Nyakabande, involving a Mercedes Benz semi-trailer and a blue Bajaj Boxer motorcycle.

Police said the semi-trailer was traveling from Kyanika border toward Kabale when it collided head-on with the motorcycle.

The rider, Sebahinzi Kenneth, 40, and his wife, Sylvia Ntiringanya, 38, who was a passenger, both from Mubuga Village, Gitendere Parish, Nyarusiza Sub-county, died on the spot.

Kisoro District Traffic Officer ASP Ainomugisha Musa said his team visited the scene, recorded eyewitness statements, and documented the incident.

The bodies were taken to Kisoro Hospital mortuary for postmortem examination.

The driver of the semi-trailer fled the scene and remains at large. Both vehicles were impounded at Kisoro Central Police Station for inspection by the Inspector of Vehicles.

Kigezi Police spokesperson ASP Elly Maate described the crash as ‘unfortunate’ and urged motorists to exercise caution.

‘We urge road users to always be careful and take safety precautionary measures while on the road,’ he said, adding that investigations are ongoing.

The crash has heightened concerns over road safety along the busy Kisoro-Kabale Highway, with authorities calling on drivers to remain vigilant.

A magistrate’s court in Masaka on Friday dropped aggravated robbery charges against 12 opposition supporters linked to the National Unity Platform (NUP), who had been detained for five months following their arrest at a local football match.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) maintained the robbery charge against one suspect, Reagan Sseremba, who will continue to face both aggravated robbery and assault charges.

The other 12 accused now face only a single count of assaulting a police officer.

The case stems from a May 4, 2025 incident during the Sebina Cup football tournament in Nyendo.

Prosecutors allege that the youths attacked officer David Kisami, stole his Tecno 35 phone worth Shs100,000, Shs100,000 in cash, and assaulted him.

Those cleared of the robbery charge include Mutima Emma, Kiweewa Godfrey, Nuwamanya Vincent, Tamale Patrick, Kakeeto Patrick, Yiga Peter, Ssengoozi Dennis, Kayondo Jacob, Mujuzi Lawrence, Kakiga Ezra, Musaniya Ivan, and Fred Ssebaale.

Presiding Magistrate Selsa Biwaga confirmed the DPP’s withdrawal of the aggravated robbery charges and proceeded to read the remaining charge of assault causing bodily harm.

Defense lawyers Alexander Lule and Herbert Zikusooka applied for bail, arguing the youths had spent five months in detention on what they described as unfounded charges.

They said the accused were merely spectators at a football match and could not have anticipated carrying identification documents.

State prosecutor Caroline Namuwenge objected to bail, saying the accused had failed to present national identity cards. But the magistrate sided with the defense and granted bail of Shs100,000 each.

‘There is no risk of interference with investigations, which are already complete,’ Biwaga ruled, allowing the 12 to regain their freedom.

Zikusooka later told reporters the legal team would petition the DPP.

‘It is implausible for 13 people to violently steal a single phone,’ he said, condemning the prolonged detention of what he described as young, self-employed citizens.

Relatives of the released suspects expressed relief outside court. But Justine Namasembe, mother of the remaining suspect Sseremba, decried what she called a false accusation that has left her son in jail.

Tournament organizer Gyaviira Lubowa Sebina and local leaders also alleged the charges were politically motivated, saying they were intended to intimidate their community.

The case was adjourned until November 4.

The Aga Khan Education Services in Uganda, in partnership with Aerospace Uganda, successfully hosted the Aviation and Digital Youth Summit 2025, an initiative aimed at nurturing young aviation enthusiasts into future innovators in the aviation sector.

The two-day event, which concluded on Wednesday, was held at the Aga Khan Schools in Kampala. It brought together students from 12 secondary schools, including Aga Khan High School, St Julian High School, Gayaza, Seeta High School, Gayaza, and Lugazi Secondary School, among others.

According to Capt Oxtone Lubega, chief executive officer of Aerospace Uganda, the summit was designed to inspire and empower young people to pursue careers in aviation.

‘There is still an ideological gap,’ Capt Lubega noted. ‘Many people do not understand the aviation industry simply because they lack knowledge about it.’ He said the goal of the summit was to provide a comprehensive introduction to the aviation profession, highlighting its various components, including technology, finance, and logistics.

‘We want young people to understand aviation from the grassroots level, before they join the industry, so that we can adequately prepare them for the future,’ he added. Capt Lubega also pointed out that such community engagements help demystify air travel, encouraging more people to consider aviation as a viable means of transportation and a dynamic career path. Mr Mahmoud Sayani, the chief executive officer of Aga Khan Education Services, described aviation as both ‘exciting and challenging,’ urging students to seriously consider it when making career choices.

‘The aviation sector contributes approximately $3.5 trillion to global GDP. Around 35 percent of global trade is conducted by air. It’s a vast and exciting sector,’ Mr Sayani said.

‘You get to see the world, work with complex machinery, and pursue a career that is both rewarding and intellectually stimulating.’ Expressing gratitude for the opportunity to host the summit, Mr Sayani highlighted the diverse career paths within the aviation industry, such as engineering, piloting, and air traffic control.

‘I thank Aerospace Uganda for partnering with us to host this summit and for exposing young people to the many opportunities, benefits, and challenges in the aviation field, opportunities many of us never had.’ He also pointed out the growing opportunities in Uganda’s aviation sector.

‘Uganda now has its own airline. The Uganda Airlines is expanding its fleet and flying to various destinations around the world. This growth presents real opportunities for our youth.’ Lt Col David Rusoke, head of combat operations in the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Air Force, said such events are important in raising awareness about aviation careers.

‘The aviation industry in Uganda is still growing. For a long time, there were no schools offering aviation training, but now we are seeing more institutions opening up,’ Lt Col Rusoke said. He explained that many young people are still unaware of the full range of opportunities in aviation.

‘When we advertise for positions in the UPDF Air Force, many don’t understand what roles they are applying for. Outreach programmes like this help them reflect, plan, and consider specialised career paths.’

Lt Col Rusoke also debunked the common misconception that aviation careers are limited to piloting. ‘There are many other important roles in aviation, such as aircraft maintenance, air traffic control, and more. Platforms like this educate both the youth and the broader public about these options.’

Tricia Nankunda, a student of St Julian High School, Gayaza, expressed her enthusiasm for the summit. ‘This summit has been very impactful. As someone who dreams of joining the aviation sector, I’ve learned that it’s all about finding opportunities, working hard, and staying focused on your goals.’

The Summit

The two-day event which concluded on Wednesday was held at the Aga Khan Schools in Kampala. It brought together 12 secondary schools including the Aga Khan High School, St Julian High School Gayaza, Seeta High School Gayaza, Lugazi Secondary School, among others.

HARARE. Both Uganda and Nigeria came into this tournament with high hopes, but instead of contesting for a World Cup slot, they now find themselves fighting for pride in the fifth-place playoff final.

For the Cricket Cranes, once tipped among the favourites, the disappointment of missing out on back-to-back World Cup appearances has been softened by two clinical wins over Botswana and Malawi in the second fifth place semifinal.

For Nigeria’s Yellow Greens, a cruel net run rate twist robbed them of a semifinal berth, and they now seek consolation by upsetting an Ugandan side they have never beaten in T20 internationals.

Tale of Missed Opportunities

Uganda’s campaign began with bold ambitions, having qualified for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and aiming for a repeat.

But defeats to hosts Zimbabwe by five wickets and a spirited Tanzania by nine runs left their qualification hopes in tatters. A morale-lifting win against Botswana restored some pride before they showcased their depth and professionalism in a commanding victory over Malawi in the fifth-place semifinal on Thursday, October 4.

Captain Riazat Ali Shah insists Uganda want to end on a positive note: ‘It’s been a tough campaign, but we are determined to finish strong. Ending on a high is important for the team and for our supporters back home.’

Nigeria’s broken hearts

Nigeria, on the other hand, looked destined for the semifinals after posting a competitive 148 against Kenya. But their dreams were dashed when the East Africans chased it down in just 13.4 overs to leapfrog them on Net Run Rate (NRR).

They recovered well to brush aside Botswana in the fifth-place playoff semifinal, but the pain of falling short will still linger.

Head coach Abhay Sharma has urged his Ugandan charges to stay focused.

‘The process is bigger than one result. Against Nigeria, we must stay disciplined, because they will be desperate for their first win over us. These are the games that test character, and we must show ours.’

What’s at stake

For both teams, a fifth-place finish may not have been the ultimate goal, but it represents a chance to rebuild confidence before heading home. Nigeria have never beaten Uganda in 11 previous T20 meetings, but coach Steve Tikolo’s Yellow Greens will be desperate to rewrite history in front of what promises to be a lively Takashinga crowd.

Uganda’s dominance in this fixture is clear, but Nigeria’s hunger for a breakthrough could make Satuday’s clash a thriller.

ICC MEN’S T20 WORLD CUP AFRICA QUALIFIER

Saturday – Playoff Fixtures

7th Place Playoff

Botswana vs Malawi, 10.30am – Takashinga

5th Place Playoff Final

Uganda vs Nigeria – 2.50pm – Takashinga CC

3rd Place Playoff

Tanzania vs Kenya, 10.30am – Harare

Final

Zimbabwe vs Namibia, 2.50pm – Harare

Head-to-Head

Uganda vs Nigeria in T20Is

Total Matches: 11

Uganda Wins: 11

Nigeria Wins: 0

Biggest Uganda Win: 77 runs (Entebbe, July 2025)

The Minister for ICT and national guidance Chris Baryomunsi has advised Ugandans to come up with other technological ways to facilitate communications, other than crying about the reopening of Facebook, a social media platform the government closed during the 2021 general election.

Mr Baryomunsi was categorical in his remarks, challenging universities and tertiary institutions to invest more in the ICT sector to come up with research and innovations that do not only translate into policy but also inform the industry.

‘There has been a constant cry (by the public) of reopening Facebook. It was just an innovation by an individual. Why are we unable to come up with something of our own or any other social media platform that can facilitate communication? You cannot avoid technology today and matters of digital transformation. Whether you hide your head in the sand, technology will be at your doorsteps. Gone are the days when issues of technology were for the western world. We have to embrace technology, live with it and integrate issues of technology in our daily lives,’ he said.

Minister Baryomunsi made these remarks on October 2, 2025 while opening the two-day national conference on communications (NCC) at the national information and communications technology hub at Nakawa in Kampala.

Held under the theme harnessing digital innovation to power sustainable local solutions for Uganda’s development goals, the ninth NCC organised by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) in partnership with International Business, Science and Technology (ISBAT) and Gulu Universities aimed at advancing research, knowledge exchange and collaboration between government, academia and industry stakeholders.

For his part, the executive director of UCC George William Nyombi Thembo said that much as academia is good at innovating, they must understand that the private sector always has their ears and minds glued to the market 24/7.

‘Whatever we do at the end of the day must have commercial value. Anything that would have sustainable academic value must have commercial value. We cannot achieve that without involving the private sector. Through the private sector, we serve society. Digital innovation is not about new technology. It is about developing inclusive and sustainable solutions that improve livelihoods and strengthen service delivery to drive Uganda’s competitiveness in the global digital economy,’ Mr Nyombi said.

‘Instead of asking us (government) about Facebook, ask whether the void created by Facebook necessitates people to create and innovate because innovation is a function of necessity. If Facebook was important, create something different like Facebook that is Ugandan made,’ Nyombi added.

Mathew Mathai Kattampackal, the Vice-chancellor of Isbat University said the 2025 NCC aims at fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration and inspire actionable solutions that are contextually relevant to Uganda’s development priorities.

‘This year’s theme reflects a shared commitment of leveraging on technology to address the pressing socio-economic challenges facing Uganda today. It provides a unique platform for industry leaders and experts, from the academia, innovators and practitioners to exchange knowledge, share experiences and co-create ideas that align with Uganda’s development agenda and sustainable development goals,’ Kattampackal said.

The NCC that ended today (October 3 2025) is Uganda’s flagship platform for dialogue and innovation in ICT. Since its inception, the conference has promoted research, policy, and technological solutions to advance national development.

Next year, Uganda will welcome a new HIV drug, a medical breakthrough that promises to give hope in the fight against the epidemic. The twice-yearly injectable drug will be given to people at high risk of infection such as young girls, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and other high-risk categories of people, who could include sex workers, long route drivers and fishing communities.

Uganda is among the 10 high-burden countries selected to benefit through the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR). This is a remarkable achievement, a milestone that reminds the country of the journey we have taken since the early 1980s when the disease was discovered and the battle launched in the early 1990s to fight the scourge. Uganda has been a global leader in combating HIV, and the arrival of this new drug gives new hope to achieving targets on infection, prevention and antiretroviral treatment.

But while we celebrate this progress, we must not lose sight of a sobering truth: medicine alone cannot end the HIV crisis. The greatest weapon against HIV/Aids has always been, and will always remain, human behaviour. A drug may suppress the virus in the body, but it cannot stop reckless sexual habits, nor can it shield society from the wider consequences of irresponsibility.

Careless sexual behaviour continues to fuel not only new HIV infections but also a rise in teenage pregnancies, unwanted pregnancies, and the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. These challenges place immense social, economic, and emotional burdens on families, communities, and the country at large. The new drug may help prevent the virus, but it will not mend the heartbreak of a teenage mother forced out of school, nor will it heal the scars left by preventable infections.

As Uganda ushers in this new drug, we must redouble our investment in behavioural change campaigns.

Young people, in particular, need accurate information, and practical guidance to help them make responsible choices. Parents, educators, religious leaders, and policymakers must ensure that the excitement around medical progress does not overshadow the fundamental truth: prevention is always better than cure.

The new HIV drug is a gift, one that will save countless lives. But it is not a licence for recklessness.

If we do not pair science with responsibility, we risk undoing the very progress we are celebrating today. Uganda has shown the world that leadership and collective discipline can bend the trajectory of HIV. Let us now prove, once again, that real change begins in the choices we make every day.

The Ugandan government has been urged to accelerate the development of a national Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy to guide investment, safeguard data, and protect citizens, as experts warn of rising cybercrime and mounting risks linked to disruptive technologies.

This call dominated discussions at the five-day 14th Annual East Africa Information Security Conference, hosted by the ISACA Kampala Chapter at Speke Resort Munyonyo, under the theme ‘Thriving in the Era of Disruptive Technology.’

ISACA, a global association of professionals in information systems, IT, cybersecurity, governance, data protection, and privacy, has been championing digital trust across the region.

Uganda, experts said, is at a crossroads: AI is reshaping finance, healthcare, education, and governance, yet cybercrime is spiraling at alarming rates.

‘Artificial Intelligence is increasingly being used as a disruptive technology in the country and needs home-grown data solutions,’ Mr Maurice Taremwa, the president of ISACA Kampala, told journalists on Friday, October 4, 2025.

He warned that while AI brings innovation and efficiency, without a guiding framework, it risks exposing Uganda’s digital economy to vulnerabilities and foreign dependency.

Experts stressed that a national AI policy would not only unlock resources for local startups and innovation hubs but also ensure responsible deployment aligned with Uganda’s unique context and priorities.

Mr Taremwa revealed that Interpol reports show cybercrime in Uganda has risen by over 60% in the past year. He cited high-profile cases where financial institutions lost staggering sums-some cases involving UGX 100 billion (USD 25 million)-through digital fraud, misdirected funds, or system breaches.

‘The money is in the billions-that one is of no doubt; almost all our financial transactions are now digital, and because we live in an interconnected world, criminals are able to act much faster and impact much larger sums,’ Mr Taremwa said.

To guard against this, Mr Taremwa emphasised the three pillars of cybersecurity: confidentiality, which is ensuring sensitive information is accessed only by those authorised; Integrity: Protecting data from unauthorised alteration-Removing just one zero can reduce one million to one hundred thousand and Availability: Guaranteeing access to systems when needed-whether at a petrol station, a hospital, or a bank.

Ms Sharon Kisinde, the ISACA Kampala Board Secretary, highlighted that disruption extends beyond finance and AI. Sustainability and climate-linked projects are increasingly dependent on technology, requiring new approaches to information collection, processing, and security.

‘We are seeing renewable energy and green projects as new fronts of disruption,’ she said. ‘The underlying common factor is information. How we process it determines whether our systems are state-of-the-art and whether they meet the requirements for a better livelihood,’ she added.

She emphasised ethics and integrity in technology use, noting that ISACA’s membership is anchored in principles of confidentiality, integrity, and accountability.

Other speakers stressed the importance of equipping the population with digital literacy and cybersecurity skills.

Mr Bernard Wanyama, past president of ISACA Kampala, revealed efforts to introduce ICT training in schools and conduct awareness drives in the banking and education sectors. ‘Our strategy is to impact those who can support the wider population,’ he said. ‘We train teachers, students, and banking professionals because they are at the points of data collection.’

Mr Eric Sekiziyivu, ISACA Vice President, stressed the need to integrate AI into work sectors while paying attention to compliance: ‘We need to watch the regulator-what are they saying? ISACA will continue to certify more professionals in AI.’

Ms Agnes Lumala, Academic Registrar at UICT, pointed to the success of short courses in sparking student innovations.

Mr Njenga Kahiro of Cyber Security Africa urged for harmonized data protection laws across the EAC to strengthen regional resilience.

On behalf of Dr Amina Zawedde, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT, Ambrose Ruyooka, the commissioner, reassured delegates that the government views ISACA Kampala as a key partner in building digital trust, setting standards, and skilling the workforce through partnerships with academia and industry.

Today, October 3rd, Germany is celebrating its National Day. 35 years ago – after 41 years of separation – East and West Germany were reunited. East Germany was a communist dictatorship with a state-run economy and part of the Soviet-led Warsaw Defence Pact. West Germany was a liberal democracy with a free market economy and part of the Western Defence Alliance, Nato. It seemed completely unimaginable that they would ever be one country again. In 1987, US President Reagan visited Berlin and appealed to the Soviets: ‘Mr Gorbachev, TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!’ Germans in East and West very much welcomed his strong words – but nobody believed that this would actually happen.

It was not Mr Gorbatchev, the new Soviet leader since 1985, who tore down the wall, but it was his new policy of restructuring and opening (known as Perestroika and Glasnost) that encouraged and allowed the people of East Germany to demonstrate peacefully in 1989, claiming their right to determine their future by chanting ‘We are the people!’ This finally led to the heavily guarded Berlin Wall being opened in November 1989, and the two countries became one again, without a single shot being fired. Nobody would have thought this was possible even a few months before it happened. To me, this is still a true miracle for which I am immensely grateful.

What led up to these events? After Nazi-Germany had lost World War II, the Allied Powers divided it into four sectors. The US, the British, and the French became West Germany, and the Soviet Russian sector became East Germany in 1949. People in the East were not happy with the political and economic conditions they lived in. On June 17, 1953, about one million citizens took to the streets all over East Germany, but the demonstrations were brutally crushed by Soviet tanks. When the economic and political situation did not improve and more and more people left the East to go to the West, the East German leadership reacted on August 13, 1961 by putting up a wall with barbed and electrical wire, and thousands of mines. In the following 28 years, several hundred East Germans were killed by their own border patrols while trying to flee to the West.

Looking back, it seems to me that it was the ignorance of the Communist party claiming to know what is best for the people that led to its downfall. It was considered criticism of government policy as a hostile act that threatened the stability of the system. Therefore, the opposition went underground. It is actually this lack of dialogue, this disconnect between a government and its citizens, that was the threat to stability. Who knows, maybe East Germany would still exist if the party leadership had been willing to listen to critical citizens and enable real participation from civil society.

This year, we are happily looking back on 61 years of development cooperation between Germany and Uganda. For two generations now, Germany has been supporting the Ugandan people in many different ways. It is Uganda’s ambitious strategies and objectives that guide our cooperation. Without the ownership of the Ugandan Government and the Ugandan people, our cooperation would not only be a bad partnership, but it also simply wouldn’t work. We can support and contribute to Uganda’s programmes, but they will only be successful with the mobilisation of its own funds for development, reform-oriented policies, and political decision-making.

In societies like Uganda’s, with its huge share of young people, the opportunity to participate freely and with equal opportunity in the political and economic realm is a fundamental element of future stability and prosperity. That is why we provide solid and transparent cooperation on good governance, civil society, and human rights, because they are the basis for social stability and development. Just to avoid a common misunderstanding: Good governance is not about telling somebody else how to run their show! Germany wants to help more Ugandans to access services, e.g. in the education, water and sanitation, energy, and health sectors. For this reason, we are here to support Ugandan efforts to help ensure that resources are correctly used, corruption is reduced and citizens are involved in decision making. To this end, we support both government institutions like the Office of the Auditor General and national and local civil society organisations.

A lot has been achieved, and a lot remains to be done. Germany is looking forward to many more years of trustful and efficient cooperation.

During the NRM nomination rally for President Museveni at Kololo, the remarks made by some top leaders about the ongoing teachers’ strike were not only unfortunate but deeply regrettable. For leaders of their stature to trivialise such a serious national crisis by comparing government teachers’ salaries to those in private schools is an insult to our hardworking teachers.

They mock teachers, suggesting that because private schools pay less, government should not pay teachers adequately. That is not leadership. If indeed private schools were the benchmark for government policy, then are these same leaders suggesting that private schools also pay science teachers five times more than arts teachers? Do private schools perpetuate the same absurd salary disparities? And if government schools are as well facilitated as our leaders claim, why don’t the children of our leaders attend UPE or USE schools? This is hypocrisy of the highest order-leaders prescribing for ordinary Ugandans what they themselves cannot consume. It is like giving food to a neighbour that you cannot eat yourself because you suspect it is poisoned!

Let us not forget that striking is a right protected under labour laws such as the Employment Act. Teachers have always given the government ample time and due notice before laying down their tools. They have knocked on every door of dialogue, but instead of being listened to, they are being mocked and ridiculed. What more do we want teachers to do-bleed on the streets before their voices are heard? Worse still, by making such careless remarks during the unveiling of our NRM flagbearer, these leaders were effectively shooting the party in the foot. They sent a dangerous message to teachers and Ugandans at large-that the NRM is insensitive to their suffering.

The real problem in this country is not President Museveni. The problem is the coterie of leaders who surround him, shielding him from the truth. The Bible tells us, ‘You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.’ It is only by telling the President the truth that we can build a fairer, stronger Uganda. If we claim that arts subjects are irrelevant, why do we still teach them in our curriculum? The sciences cannot stand without the language of instruction, English. A biology or physics teacher still relies on the English teacher. Primary school teachers-who lay the foundation for all subjects-are paid the same regardless of whether they teach sciences or humanities, yet in secondary schools you find science teachers earning more than their own headmasters. What kind of skewed policy is this?

As a teacher and as a leader, I say without fear: this policy is unfair, divisive, and poorly thought through. I strongly believe that the President was misadvised, and that there is urgent need for review. Arts teachers, primary school teachers, technical and vocational instructors all deserve better. They deserve equality, equity, and respect.

President Museveni has always stood for fairness and development. It is our duty as leaders to advise the President truthfully and responsibly. Shielding him from reality is not loyalty-it is betrayal. True loyalty lies in telling him the truth so that he can take corrective action. Teachers are not the enemy of the state. They are the backbone of our nation. To undermine them is to undermine Uganda’s future. This strike has come at a time when we are at the beginning of a budget process. It is only wise that teacher’s concerns are well addressed and catered for!

They say life is short but in Kampala, traffic makes it feel much, much longer. A recent report revealed that we lose an average of 52 days every year stuck in traffic jam in Kampala. That is an equivalent of nearly two months of productivity wasted. And that’s before you add the frustration, anxiety, and emotional burnout that have become part of daily life on our roads.

The causes of this agony are no mystery i.e. a poor and overstretched road network, the slow pace of infrastructure development, outdated traffic management systems that still rely on traffic wardens rather than technology, and perhaps most visibly, indiscipline among road users. Anyone who has braved Kampala’s roads knows the chaos all too well. One morning at Wampewo Roundabout, I found myself in the middle of a police operation. Officers were stopping cars to check for unpaid EPS tickets, and permits, right at the roundabout. How can traffic flow when enforcement blocks the very arteries meant to keep the city moving! Sometimes, our methods seem to fuel the very indiscipline they are meant to stop.

Then there are boda bodas! It’s almost impossible to tell whether traffic laws apply to them or if they are the law. Their disregard for lanes, and signals has become so normal that even the police appear to have given up. Reports indicate that 70 percent of road crashes recorded annually in Uganda, involve boda bodas. Behind every statistic is a family grieving or drained by hospital bills.

Kampala traffic can be both stressful and strangely entertaining. Near misses, shouting matches, and daring manoeuvres play out daily like a live action drama. Taxi drivers with bull bars squeezing into impossible spaces, mocking private car drivers with their trademark, ‘which driving school did you go to?’ VIP convoys add another twist with sirens blaring, escorts jumping out to push traffic aside, sometimes even overruling traffic officers. For ordinary motorists, always remember to manage your fuel, lock the doors and ensure wind screens are high enough to protect your valuables. That is life on Kampala’s roads!

To be fair, government has made progress. With support from partners like the World Bank and JICA, Kampala is getting new signalised junctions, improved roads, and even a central traffic control centre. Projects like the Kampala Flyover and the expansion of the Northern Bypass are promising. The pressure intensifies during major events. The plot gets thicker as we step into the election period, with political party primaries and campaigns kicking off that draw huge numbers of delegates in different places within the city. For Kampala businesses, that means revenue. For road users, it means gridlock. The costs are borne by ordinary citizens rushing for medical emergencies, deadlines and schedules missed.

The losses go beyond frustration. Billions of shillings annually in wasted fuel, lost man hours, higher vehicle maintenance costs, and disrupted supply chains. According to the World Bank, congestion in African cities can shave up to 5 percent off GDP every year. That’s a cost Uganda cannot afford! The solutions are clear, and they call for better planning of road closures and diversions, switch from manual to smart traffic management systems and a return to discipline in every road use. Because until then, sitting in Kampala traffic will remain what it has always been. A daily tug of war between survival and sanity!