Boda-boda and taxi operators in Uganda have entered a landmark partnership designed to tackle shared challenges such as poverty, unsafe working conditions, and exploitative financing, while pushing for greater influence in shaping the country’s transport sector.
The deal brings together the United Boda-Boda Riders Cooperative Union and the Uganda Taxi Operators Federation (UTOF), signaling the end of years of competition between the two groups.
Leaders say the alliance will provide a platform to negotiate better terms for operators, improve welfare, and promote innovation in the sector.
Financing and Welfare in Focus
Frank Mawejje, national chairperson of the United Boda-Boda Riders Cooperative Union, highlighted the financial pressures faced by operators.
Motorcycles worth Shs5 million often cost more than Shs12 million under unfair loan schemes, while taxis priced at Shs40 million can be leased at over double the value.
“It is like being given a rabbit and asked to pay back a bull,” Mawejje told reporters in Kampala.
To counter this, the union has launched a financing scheme requiring only Shs168,000 as a deposit and weekly installments of Shs26,000 over two years.
Over the past 18 months, it has also deployed 60,000 electric motorcycles and introduced welfare initiatives such as the Union Village housing project in partnership with Housing Finance Bank and NSSF.
A New Dawn for Uganda’s Transport
UTOF Chairman Rashid Ssekindi described the alliance as a transformative step for Uganda’s transport industry.
“This partnership is more than a handshake; it is a bold step to take our sector to a new level. Tewakyali ntalo, Tusimbudde,” he said, noting that the two groups will now operate under a common logo and identity.
Grace Luyera, UTOF’s Administrative Secretary, said the sector remains largely unregulated, leaving operators to resolve disputes internally while government involvement is mostly limited to tax collection.
“The transport sector is unregulated. Government comes in only to collect taxes, but our internal matters are handled by ourselves. Once we have a common voice through a union, maybe government can listen and address our concerns,” Luyera said.
Operators also criticized the absence of subsidies on fuel and spare parts, arguing that price fluctuations are unfairly passed on to drivers and passengers.
“In other countries, public transport is treated as a service where governments provide subsidies. Here, whatever goes up, we face it directly,” she added.
Commercial Expansion and Green Mobility
The alliance plans to diversify into commercial ventures, including the “Union Let’s Go” ride-hailing app, electric motorcycles, spare parts, bottled water, and household products. It also supports Uganda’s green mobility agenda, focusing on electric motorcycles and future electric taxis to reduce fuel costs, cut emissions, and save on fuel imports.
Union leaders emphasized that the partnership aligns with Uganda’s Ten-Fold Growth Strategy, which aims to expand the economy from $50 billion in 2023 to $500 billion by 2040 through industrialization, job creation, and exports.
To mark the new collaboration, the unions will host the inaugural Boda-Boda Union Festival and Expo (BUIFE) on September 14 at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, where President Yoweri Museveni is expected to attend as chief guest.
