Boda boda and taxi operators have entered a landmark partnership aimed at easing access to affordable credit, improving welfare, and strengthening their collective voice in the country’s transport sector.
The deal brings together the United Boda-Boda Riders Cooperative Union and the Uganda Taxi Operators Federation (UTOF), ending years of rivalry between the two groups.
Leaders say the alliance will address shared challenges of poverty, unsafe working conditions, and exploitative loan schemes.
The national chairperson of United Boda-Boda Riders Cooperative Union Frank Mawejje said riders and drivers are suffocating under unfair financing terms.
He cited cases where motorcycles worth Shs 5 million end up costing more than Shs 12 million, while taxis priced at Shs 40 million are leased at over double the amount.
“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 introduced a financing scheme requiring only Shs 168,000 as deposit and weekly installments of Shs 26,000 over two years.
It has also deployed 60,000 electric motorcycles in the past 18 months and launched welfare projects such as Union Village housing, in partnership with Housing Finance Bank and NSSF.
UTOF Chairman Rashid Ssekindi described the alliance as a “new dawn” 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, adding that the groups will now operate under a common logo and identity.
Grace Luyera, Administrative Secretary of the Uganda Taxi Operators Federation (UTOF), said the sector remains largely unregulated, leaving operators to resolve internal disputes on their own while government’s role is 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 decried the lack of subsidies on fuel and spare parts, arguing that the burden of fluctuating prices is 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.
Luyera further noted that the absence of clear regulations has made administration difficult, as operators come from diverse backgrounds with no standardized rules to follow. She said UTOF believes that forming a stronger union will help amplify their voice and push government to prioritize the sector.
The unions plan to expand commercial ventures, including the “Union Let’s Go” ride-hailing app, electric bikes, spare parts, bottled water, and household products.
The partnership also commits to supporting Uganda’s green mobility agenda, with a focus on electric motorcycles and future electric taxis to reduce fuel costs, cut emissions, and save on fuel imports.
Union leaders said the cooperation aligns with Uganda’s Ten-Fold Growth Strategy, which targets expanding the economy from US$50 billion in 2023 to US$500 billion by 2040 through job creation, industrialization, and exports.
To showcase the new partnership, the groups have organized the inaugural Boda-Boda Union Festival and Expo (BUIFE) on September 14 at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, where President Yoweri Museveni is expected as chief guest.
