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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kampala Capital City Authority-KCCA has postponed the operationalization of the boda boda free zone in Kampala. It has also denied reports that the authority is chasing boda bodas out of the city.
Social media has been awash with messages that KCCA is working with traffic police to impound boda bodas when they access certain areas in the city.
KCCA spokesperson Daniel NuweAbine says while there are plans for a boda boda free zone, they will not be implementing it soon. NuweAbine says that they want to first introduce buses on the road.
KCCA recently entered an understanding with Metu Zhongtong Bus Company to produce buses for Kampala. The company is expected to take at least 2 years before they can get buses to on Kampala streets.
The boda boda free zone is supposed to run along the boundaries of Wampewo roundabout-Jinja road to Kitgum house junction – Access road – Mukwano road to Clock Tower – Kafumbe Mukasa road – Kisenyi road – Mackay road – Kyaggwe road – Watoto Church – Bombo road – Wandegeya – Hajji Musa Kasule road – Mulago roundabout – Kamwokya junction – Sturrock road – Prince Charles Drive – Lugogo Bypass.
Last year in July, the government said they would operationalize the zone in November 2020 but soon halted the plan pending registration of boda bodas. The registration was also later suspended citing large numbers of boda bodas which they said couldn’t be handled amidst COVID 19 regulations of physical distancing.
NuweAbine says that the government is working with partners to develop a system where riders can register online. He says that they also need to introduce buses to operate in the zone.
Frank Mawejje, a boda boda rider and chairman of boda boda riders in Kawempe says that government doesn’t seem to have a clear plan on how to organize the boda boda industry. He says KCCA has made several attempts to register them in vain.
Mawejje says that KCCA needs to improve its infrastructure to accommodate all people. He says the challenge Kampala faces is poor physical planning which has resulted in the construction of structures in road reserves hence narrowing roads.
Umar Isabirye, the chairman of boda boda riders in Makindye also says that KCCA should first provide an exit plan for boda boda riders operating in the free zone. Isabirye says there are over 300 riders in Kampala Central and have stages they paid for.
Several boda boda riders in Kampala Central pay between Shillings 500,000 to 1.5 million to get space at a boda boda stage. The pricing depends on the stage location and ownership and the space is usually paid to owners of the land for instance arcade owners or the first person who established a stage at a road reserve.
Isabirye wants KCCA to compensate people for the money they invested in acquiring stages before they can displace them. He says it would be selfish to chase boda boda riders off their stages yet KCCA has not given them alternative working space.
Another boda boda rider, Siraj Mutyaba who operates in Kampala Central says that it is not practical for the government to remove boda bodas in the planned zone. Mutyaba says boda bodas depend on people in town including arcade traders and market vendors.
Mutyaba wants the government to reconsider its plan of the free zone.
According to KCCA, there are over 250,000 boda bodas in the city.
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