Uganda traffic boss wants his own court

AIGP Lawrence Nuwabiine calls for designated magistrate courts to try errant drivers

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Lawrence Nuwabiine, the Director of Traffic Police, has revealed plans to engage with the judiciary to establish specialized traffic magistrate courts, arguing that traffic offenders have become accustomed to paying routine traffic fines.

Nuwabiine’s concerns were prompted by the recently released 2024 traffic report, which revealed a worrying rise in traffic accident fatalities. The report showed that 5,144 Ugandans lost their lives in traffic accidents in 2024, averaging 14 deaths per day. This marked an increase from the 4,806 fatalities recorded in 2023, which averaged 13 daily road deaths.

Notably, most road fatalities occurred between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., claiming 894 lives. Speaking to journalists at Naguru Police Headquarters, Nuwabiine attributed the rising number of accidents to reckless behavior among road users, noting that issuing daily traffic fines has not deterred offenders.

“The road itself sends warnings, signaling drivers to slow down, especially when children or cattle are crossing. However, motorists are not adjusting their behavior accordingly,” Nuwabiine (pictured) said.

“One can’t help but wonder if the road safety education provided in our schools is insufficient, despite our extensive sensitization efforts through radios, TVs, and schools.” He added that, among other efforts, the traffic police are considering collaborating with the judiciary to establish traffic offense magistrate courts with the authority to impose custodial sentences on errant drivers.

“We have started engaging the judiciary to designate a specific magistrate to handle traffic offenses so that we see custodial punishments. Here, we shall be able to deal with those characters that don’t want to change,” said AIGP Nuwabiine.

The traffic report also revealed that most road crashes occur on Sundays and Saturdays. For instance, 3,970 traffic accidents were recorded on Sunday, while 3,765 were recorded on Saturday. Monday registered 3,689 road crashes.

Police have also attributed the rise in road accidents to widespread intoxication among motorists, particularly over the weekends when traffic officers are less visible. “In this country, with just 500 shillings, one can access alcohol and other toxic substances, posing a significant danger to our youth, who are the majority of those causing road carnages. This is a threat that requires a solution to prevent the unnecessary loss of our children’s lives on Ugandan roads,” Nuwabiine stated.

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