Bwaise taxi operators fight for parking space along Bombo road

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police used teargas on Wednesday to disperse rowdy taxi operators in Bwaise along Kampala-Bombo road in Kawempe division who were fighting for space and passengers.

Police intervened after taxi operators at Lions stage exchanged blows with their counterparts near Dr. Lubega’s clinic on the opposite side of the road.

Taxi operators from Lion stage accused Ssemakadde Nsobya of establishing another stage with taxis plying the Luweero route opposite their stage. They claimed that Ssemakadde commands hooligans who attack and beat them up.

They claimed that two taxis with such youths came and attacked them with sticks and knives hence the scuffle.

The operators say that Ssemakadde was their colleague but broke away after falling out with the stage leadership. They accuse him of fighting the leaders of the stage.

Ssemakadde has denied the allegations leveled against him and instead said that a one Bonny who owns various taxis is the one who runs Lions stage and controls it as he wishes. Ssemakadde says that Bonny chased them from the stage because he wanted only his taxis and those loyal to him.

He adds that to avoid fights together with other colleagues, they decided to find space across to work. Ssemakadde says he neither starts fights nor commands any hooligans. By the time of filing this story, security was still deployed in Bwaise. The two stages had been closed and no vehicle was allowed to load passengers from there.

Last year, Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA gazetted eight stages in Kampala including the Old Taxi Park, New Taxi Park, Kisenyi, Namayiba, Namirembe, Nateete, Usafi, and Nakawa parks. KCCA planned to gazette more stages outside the City center but that is yet to happen.

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