The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Traffic police have warned Ugandans against stealing items of road crash victims and subjecting culprits to mob action. Superintendent of Police, Michael Kananura, the traffic police spokesperson, said many people have made it a business to steal items of victims of road crashes and also clobbering those they accuse of knocking their relatives.
SP Kananura said sometimes even people who knock others are fond of subjecting their victims to beatings instead of rushing them to nearby health facility for treatment. Police said every person should know that stealing from someone injured or killed in a road crash is a serious crime.
“We encourage people to always help these victims,” he said. “Do not steal from the victims. Discourage everyone from doing so. Discourage mob justice. If you have caused a crash, it is your duty to control traffic. Ask other drivers or nearby locals to help you send signals to other road users that there is a road crash.”
Stealing of property such as wallets, money perse and bags has been cited one of the major reasons why more than 500 bodies get buried in public cemeteries every year because they cannot be identified.
Assistant Inspector General of Police- AIGP Moses Byaruhanga, the police director of health services in one of the interviews with the media said people are often taken to the mortuary without any document.
Byaruhanga said someone leaves Mbale heading to Kabaale district, but when he gets involved in a road crash along Mbarara road, chances of his body being unclaimed are high if the belongings are stolen.
Often times, rescuers target wallets, bags and money perse for money yet the same contain the identification documents such as National ID, employment ID or bank cards which could have been used to identify the victims. At the end, people who steal such items throw the IDs in the bush where they cannot be seen.
Meanwhile, SP Kananura has warned other drivers against getting distracted by road crash scenes which causes more crashes or unnecessary congestion. “When passing a road crash scene do not get distracted,” he cautioned. “Concentrate on the road and obey the commands of the police officers who are at the scene. If you are involved in a road crash, ensure to report yourself within 24 hours.”
Traffic police have revealed that 64 people died in last week’s road crashes while 271 sustained injuries. Among the deceased, 24 were bodaboda riders, 22 were pedestrians, and 11 were passengers on bodabodas. “The major causes of these crashes were careless overtaking which contributed to 22%; Speeding contributed 18% of the crashes, so we appeal to motorists to always obey the traffic regulations for their own safety and safety of other road users,” SP Kananura said.
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