Under their umbrella, Boda Boda Industry Uganda, which brings together over 60 Boda Boda associations across the country, the riders unveiled their patron at an event at St. Henry's Gardens along Salaama Road in Makindye Division, Kampala.
Boda Boda riders in
Kampala have enthroned the former Kyengera Town Council LC III Chairperson, Abdu Kiyimba as their new Patron more than
three years after the collapse of Boda Boda 2010.
Under their umbrella, Boda
Boda Industry Uganda, which brings together
over 60 Boda Boda associations across the country, the riders unveiled their patron at
an event at St. Henry's Gardens along Salaama Road in Makindye Division, Kampala.
Kiyimba was enthroned in a brief ceremony where the leadership of the Boda Boda Industry Association dressed him in
a yellow robe, a helmet, and tag
with inscriptions “PATRON Boda Boda Industry” before installing him in a seat as
a symbol of taking up the office.
Kiyimba accepted the appointment and committed to revolutionaries
the Boda Boda Industry and install sanity in errant riders. He promised that no
one shall tamper with the industry while he is the patron.
//Cue in: "Nneebaze obwesigwa nomutima...
Cue out: ...ate wenfiira awo,"//
Kiyimba was appointed by the association leaders from the
five divisions of Kampala and Kampala Capital City Authority leadership. Siraj Mutyaba, the Chairman of Boda Boda Industry Uganda says
that the presence of a patron shall empower their leadership structures and enhance their negotiations with the government
in a bid to streamline the Boda Boda Industry.
Mutyaba says although Boda Boda employs millions of people
across the country, there is a lack of acceptance from the government and no concerted efforts have been
undertaken to organize the industry.
//Cue in: "Olunaku lwaleero tutongozza...
Cue out: ...ebadde eri mubbanga,"//
There have been several attempts to organize Boda
Boda riders in
Kampala but to no avail. In 2006, the
then Commissioner of Police Community Affairs, Asan Kasingye working with Boda Boda groups in
Kampala commissioned traffic wardens under Kampala Union Boda Boda Cyclist
Association-Kuboca in a bid to organize the Boda Boda Industry, fight crime and regulate traffic among the
riders.
But these were soon accused of conniving with
individuals in Police and Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA to stage illegal
arrests and extort money from riders. The accusations reached the president who
engaged then Inspector General of Police-IGP, Kale Kayihura about the matter. Kayihura then
working with riders and KCCA mooted a plan to re-organize the riders afresh.
In 2010, Kampala City Council (now KCCA) organized
an election of Boda Boda-Boda riders, and Abdallah Kitatta, who was Chairman of
the National Resistance Movement party-NRM in Lubaga was elected as the patron. Kitatta worked closely with security before
complaints of torture, extortion, and arbitrary arrests of the riders against him emerged.
Boda Boda-Boda 2010 fell with the arrest of Kitatta in 2018
on allegations of illegal possession of firearms following the death of
Francis Ekalungar,
an accountant at Case Hospital leaving
the riders without a unifying
body. In 2020, the
government announced plans to register Boda-Bodas, gazette stages, and
operationalize the Boda Boda free zone but this is yet to happen.
Talks between the government represented by KCCA, the Ministry of Security, the Ministry of Local
government, and the Ministry of Works and Transport continued to engage Boda Boda
riders on how to organize themselves. One of the proposals agreed upon by the government and the riders was to unite and form an apex body.
Umar Isabirye, the Chairperson of Boda Boda-Boda Industry
Uganda in Makindye Division says that they have made several attempts to
streamline the industry but the government has always moved slowly. He says when
reshuffles happen in the government,
those leaving office seem to go with everything and when officers assume
office, they start from scratch to organize the Industry. He is optimistic, the Patron shall play a key role
as their focal person in government.
//Cue in: "Mubbanga eddene lyetubaddemu...
Cue out: ...tutadde kumulimu,"//
Akram Kasule, the head of security in Boda Boda Industry
Uganda, says
that they have been suffering at the hands of security personnel, thieves, and
KCCA law enforcement but hope that when they are well organized, all this shall
cease to happen.
//Cue in: "Tukkiriza Hajj Kiyimba...
Cue out: ...ogwa Boda Boda,"//
KCCA has often referred to Boda Bodas when
discussing
disorder in the City. They have been accused of abusing traffic regulations and
causing a menace in the City. To realize order in the City, KCCA started a
campaign to remove vendors off the streets.
In a recent interview with URN, the Kampala
Central Division Physical planner who headed operations against street vendors said that after dealing with vendors, they
shall organize Boda Bodas and taxis especially those that operate from outside
the park
