Politics killing Ugandans on roads, youth leaders warn
Wreckage of a bus involved in a collision that left several people dead near Kiryandongo on the highway from the Ugandan capital of Kampala to the city of Gulu in northern Uganda, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/ Hakiim Wampamba)
Kampala, Uganda | A coalition of youth leaders from across Uganda’s major political parties has united under the Inter-Party Youth Platform (IYOP) to demand sweeping reforms in the country’s transport and road safety systems, following a tragic road crash that claimed 46 lives on the Kampala–Gulu Highway in the early hours of October 22, 2025.
The fatal accident occurred at Kitaleba Village, near Asili Farm, around 12:15 a.m., leaving dozens dead and several others injured in what has been described as one of the worst road disasters in Uganda’s recent history.
In a strongly worded joint statement, the IYOP comprising youth leagues from the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), Conservative Party (CP), Democratic Party (DP), Ecological Party of Uganda (EPU), Justice Forum (JEEMA), National Resistance Movement (NRM), Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Uganda People’s Congress (UPC), Uganda Federal Alliance (UFA), and People’s Progressive Party (PPP) expressed deep condolences to the bereaved families and called the incident a “painful reminder of the urgent need to reform Uganda’s transport and road safety systems.”
“This heartbreaking event has left families torn apart, communities in mourning, and the nation in collective grief. It underscores the abdication of duty by government institutions and citizens to uphold safety, discipline, and accountability on our roads,” the statement reads in part.
‘A national productivity crisis’
The youth leaders condemned what they termed as “a deep-rooted dysfunction” in Uganda’s transport system, citing poor planning, weak enforcement, and rampant corruption as leading causes of preventable road deaths.
According to the Uganda Police Traffic Directorate, Uganda loses an average of 14 lives every day to road crashes. The Kampala–Gulu Highway, where the latest tragedy occurred, was described by the group as “a death trap”, narrow, poorly illuminated, and lacking essential safety infrastructure.
“Despite heavy public investment in road construction, corruption and political influence continue to destroy quality and accountability,” the statement continued.
“Projects are driven by political timelines rather than technical priorities, delivering substandard works that deteriorate almost immediately after commissioning.”
The IYOP further criticized the government’s failure to develop alternative transport modes, noting that 95% of freight and passenger transport still depends on roads.
“Why should a trip to Gayaza take longer than a trip to Dubai?” the coalition questioned, highlighting Kampala’s worsening urban gridlock and what it called “chaotic mobility without modernity.”
Youth leaders’ 6-point reform agenda
The IYOP proposed a comprehensive national transport reform agenda anchored on six pillars:
- Integrated and Multimodal Transport System – Linking road, rail, water, and air networks to reduce road dependence.
- Urban Public Transport Reform – Introducing light rail, modern buses, and cycling infrastructure in Kampala and surrounding areas.
- Transparent and Sustainable Infrastructure Financing – Ensuring accountability and independent value-for-money audits.
- Road Safety and Accountability – Declaring road safety a national public health emergency, enforcing standards, and deploying smart surveillance.
- Revitalization of Rail and Water Transport – Expanding rail and water routes to ease road congestion and enhance trade efficiency.
- National Mourning and Road Safety Audit – Declaring a day of national mourning and conducting a comprehensive nationwide road safety and transport audit.
The group also demanded that the Ministry of Works and Transport prioritize road safety infrastructure and that the National Planning Authority (NPA) revise the National Development Plan (NDP IV) to promote a truly multimodal and sustainable transport system.
Kwikiriza blasts ‘politically motivated leadership’
Speaking during the press conference, Nova Gideon Kwikiriza, President of Ugandans on X, sharply criticized Uganda’s political leadership for prioritizing politics over service delivery especially in implementing traffic control measures such as the Electronic Payment System (EPS).
“The problem we have in this country is that we have a politically motivated leadership. Everything rotates around politics as opposed to service delivery,” Kwikiriza said.
“You cannot introduce a traffic control system and then call it off because of political pressure ahead of elections. Your role as government is to educate the masses on how such systems save lives.”
Kwikiriza added that Uganda’s leaders often reverse crucial public policy decisions during election seasons to “appear as good leaders,” a practice he warned was costing lives and undermining the country’s road safety efforts.
‘No nation can claim progress while its citizens die on the roads’
The IYOP concluded by urging decisive, accountable, and forward-looking action to prevent future tragedies.
“Uganda must urgently develop a safe, reliable, and modern transport system, one that protects lives, enhances productivity, and provides efficient urban mobility, instead of burying citizens in preventable tragedies and stranding them in daily gridlocks,” the youth leaders stated.
“No nation can claim progress while its citizens continue to die and suffer on its roads. The time for action is now.”
