KAMPALA — Road safety advocates have called for sweeping reforms to Uganda's transport sector, warning that weak enforcement of traffic laws, reckless driving and poor regulation continue to claim thousands of lives and cost the country more than Shs7 trillion annually.
The advocates said the recent Kapchorwa school bus tragedy, in which 20 pupils and one adult died, should serve as a turning point for government to strengthen road safety management and prevent similar disasters.
Timothy Chemonges, Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Analysis and a board member of the Road Safety Coalition Uganda, cited World Health Organization estimates showing that Uganda loses nearly five per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to road traffic crashes every year.
According to Chemonges, the losses—estimated at more than Shs7 trillion annually—cover medical treatment, emergency response, lost productivity and other crash-related costs.
He added that Uganda spends more than Shs300 billion each year on treating victims of road crashes.
"Most of these crashes are preventable," Chemonges said, noting that reckless driving remains the leading cause of road accidents in the country.
He attributed many crashes to speeding, driver fatigue, distracted driving and poor vehicle maintenance, and called for stricter enforcement of traffic laws alongside sustained public awareness campaigns.
"The ultimate solution is behaviour change. The public must be part of holding drivers and vehicle owners accountable," he told Nile Post.
The Chairperson of the Road Safety Advocacy Coalition Uganda (ROSACCO), Tumwine Nkutuho, said road crashes kill an average of 15 people every day, translating to nearly 6,000 deaths annually. He, however, argued that the actual toll is likely higher because some fatalities are never officially recorded.
Nkutuho said road crashes should be treated as a national public health emergency, urging government agencies to strengthen implementation of existing road safety measures.
"There are gaps in the implementation of road safety management. Something can be done, and something must be done to reduce the damage and loss of lives," he said.
Meanwhile, the Foundation for Private Sector Drivers Initiative Uganda alleged that the driver involved in the Kapchorwa school bus crash had been hired temporarily and was not the school's regular driver.
The organisation's Executive Director, Jamiru Semakula, claimed the driver, identified as Juma Kainda, had been hired shortly before the journey and may not have been familiar with the vehicle.
"We have information that the driver of yesterday's accident was hired from the street. He was hired to drive a school bus," Semakula said.
Nile Post could not independently verify the claim, and authorities have yet to comment on the driver's employment status.
Semakula urged schools to thoroughly verify the qualifications, experience and competence of drivers before entrusting them with transporting learners.
He also criticised what he described as weak enforcement of traffic regulations, saying authorities often fail to act on reports of dangerous practices such as speeding, overloading and reckless driving.
According to Semakula, passengers, parents and other road users should play a more active role in promoting road safety by reporting dangerous drivers to the Traffic Police.
"Safety is not a slogan. It is a way of life. We must all take responsibility for protecting our lives," he said.
