Boda boda cyclists on a Uganda street    P. Courtesy

On September 11, Dr. Kizza Besigye the former President of FDC, published an opinion in one of the Ugandan Dailies lambasting the ongoing KCCA registration exercise of passenger service motorcycles popularly known as boda bodas. In the piece, Dr. Besigye made an attempt to spin a purely administrative issue into a political platform from which to leverage an opportunity to get at President Museveni and enhance visibility. It’s my duty however, to put the record straight and once again highlight the importance of the boda boda registration exercise that KCCA and other stakeholders are engaged in.

The registration of bodabada motorcycles is a first step in the right direction as KCCA continues to launch its interventions of creating order in the city.  The exercise will help KCCA to know the number of motorcycles operating in the city and thus aid planning. It is difficult to plan without numbers or statistics.  By and large, we aim to achieve the following specific targets with this boda boda registration: 

First, we shall be able to identify the riders individually and the motorbikes generally for planning. This will also help to fight the rampant thefts of these motorbikes and the brutal attacks on the riders by criminal gangs. Second, organized boda boda stages will be set up at specific and gazetted points to fight the illegal stages mounted anywhere (in front of banks, embassies etc) at the extreme inconvenience of other city businesses.  Third, law and order will be restored and traffic properly managed. Fourth, the registered and identified riders will be targeted for training in traffic and safety procedures. 

The ensuing order will ensure easy planning of support services like insurance to the riders and their associations. Banks and other financial institutions that have longed to support the boda boda industry but have been rebuffed by the disorganization in the sector will now have their fears allayed and confidence built. The overall goal of this initiative is to have the city decongested, guarantee safety for all city users and residents and also improve the general working conditions of the riders. 

The smart cities of Europe that we so much admire and praise for better planning and management were not improved without taking such bold initiatives. Both government and opposition parties lay their differences aside and supported the administrative initiatives for public interest. When will our politicians grow up and transcend selfish political schemes and stand for public interest?

Why wouldn’t anybody fail to see the relevance of regulating the boda boda industry in Kampala, given the so much menace and accidents currently associated with their haphazard operations?  

Besigye says that the boda boda phenomenon is a result of failure in urban planning. Well, for the sake of argument, we can concede on that. This planning failure dates as far back as the independence period. But so what?  Should we therefore accept the historical mistakes created and live with them forever?

An amendment to the constitution was successfully moved in parliament in 2005 to give Kampala a special status and thus uplift it's management from the standards of a district to that of a city. KCCA has within two years been grappling with many challenges, ranging from fighting corruption at city hall. KCCA therefore deserves support and not judgment at this moment in time when bold decisions have to be taken to turn the tide in as far as city management is concerned. A clean Kampala with good paved and maintained roads and an efficient transport, sewerage and drainage system among others, is certainly good for all, Besigye inclusive. We must talk and walk the talk.

The management and regulation of public transport is purely an administrative function of KCCA captured very well in the Kampala Capital City Authority Act. The sole objective of the exercise is to have a functioning and safe mass transport system starting with organizing bodabodas, taxis/matatus and also explore possibilities of introducing city buses and trains to ease traffic.  This is the direction we are on. Let all Ugandans therefore, politicians like Besigye inclusive, stop being stumbling blocks to the work of city administrators. 

The tendency by some  people (especially those that individually benefited from unregulated and corrupt  systems in the city) to deliberately frustrate new city  management initiatives aimed at improving the city image cannot be accepted any more. Government will stand firmly with the innocent and legally empowered staff of the city authority and protect them to do their work. Where the city personnel engage in acts of indiscipline, they will definitely be punished.

I appeal to all Bodaboda groups that have queries and complaints against  KCCA operations to bring them forward so that we can resolve them and move together. Let's all win by supporting initiatives which will   improve Kampala to standards that other cities world over run on and which we so dearly envy when we travel abroad.

By Frank Tumwebaze,

MP and Minister in charge of the Presidency and Kampala Capital City.