Deo Mayanja, a Boda-boda rider at the Mulago stage, says that the military police chased an unidentified Boda-boda rider who was coming from Kitante at around 7:00 am destined for the city center for carrying two passengers and he fell off the motorcycle together with his passengers before his arrest.
Several Boda-boda riders picked up in the ongoing clampdown against impunity on city roads have decried the return of the brutal military enforcement. The operations commenced on Monday involving officers from the Traffic Police Directorate,
Field Force Unit-FFU, and military police.
Addressing journalists on the operations, the Traffic Police Spokesperson, Faridah Nampiima, said that the operation was targeting several road users including motorcycles, government, and private vehicle operators that violate all traffic regulations. She said that the officers would arrest people using illegal sirens and flashlights to
gain the right of way that they are not entitled to.
"We will arrest the drivers and force them to remove the flashlights and
sirens. Police will remove all unauthorized flashlights on private and
government registered vehicles," she said. On Tuesday morning, security impounded hundreds of motorcycles around Mulago roundabout, Kira-Road Traffic lights, Spear motors junction in Nakawa, and Airtel Clock Tower on Jinja road among other
places.
Some of the affected cyclists have decried the brutal conduct of the security officers involved in the operations. Deo Mayanja, a Boda-boda rider at the Mulago stage, says that the military police chased an unidentified Boda-boda rider who was
coming from Kitante at around 7:00 am destined for the city center for carrying two passengers and he fell off the motorcycle together with his passengers before his arrest.
"I saw two soldiers on the roundabout chasing him
until they fell off on the motorcycle. The woman sustained injuries. The officers slapped the rider severely and bundled him on a military patrol. His motorcycle
was taken to Wandegeya police station," Mayanja said.
He says although the operation isn’t bad if
its purpose is to enforce traffic regulations equally, without targeting the weak
side mostly who is boda-bodas yet car drivers are given EPS tickets only to
continue.
//Cue in; “enkora teyandibadde…
Cue out…naye ekwate.”//
Ronald Wambi, another rider, says that military
officers at Jinja road pulled
down another rider under the pretext of enforcing the traffic regulations for attempting to overtake in a corner.
“The
traffic officers were just watching as the soldiers dragged him to the patrol
yet he had not even resisted arrest. They don’t know how to handle the public. They
beat Boda-boda riders with sticks and batons, which put the lives of the rider and their passenger in danger," Wambi said.
Other riders questioned why the army has taken over the role of the police.
//Cue in: “We have warned…
Cue out…to arrest garage.”//
However, Rogers Kawuma Nsereko, the Kampala Metropolitan Traffic Commander, says that Boda-boda
cyclists are the biggest violates of the traffic and Road Safety Regulations and shouldn't complain about how they are being handled.
“We have been cautioning them almost every day
on the roads. So how can we handle them right now yet they don’t listen? Why are
they being chased in the first place? Why can’t they stop and obey orders of law
enforcers?” Kawuma questioned.
Kamali. M James
Freelancer