Kampala city has been pronounced a Boda-Boda Free Zone by the cabinet. Entry and access to all cyclists have been prohibited.
According to President Yoweri Museveni, in his 19th (latest address in Covid-19) address to the nation, allowed the boda-boda riders to resume carrying passengers and luggage starting on the 27th of July 2020, after almost four months of only carrying luggage.
Many of the riders had confessed to finding difficulties in providing for their families since some of them would not even get customers in a day. They even had to go further and withdraw money from their SACCOs in order to provide for themselves and their families.
Through the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Ministry of Security, the cabinet has now up with a set of Standard Operating Procedures(SOPs)that all the riders nationwide will have to abide by.
A statement from the KCCCA website reads, ”Specifically for Kampala Capital City, cabinet approved Boda Boda Free Zone where all Boda Bodas are prohibited from entering/accessing.”( https://nilepost.co.ug/2020/07/26/boda-bodas-banned-from-accessing-city- centre-as-cyclists-return-to-carrying-passengers/)
In addition, with reference to the KCCA website, the areas that are to remain a Boda Boda free zone are as follows; Wampewo Roundabout-Jinja Road to Kitgum House junction-Access Road-Mukwano Road to Clock Tower-Kafumbe Mukasa Road-Kisenyi Road-Mackay Road-Mulago roundabout-Kamwokya junction-Sturrock Road-Prince Charles Drive-Lugogo Bypass-Jinja Road-Wampewo Roundabout. (https://nilepost.co.ug/2020/07/26/boda-
This means that, if a rider wants to have access to Kampala city from Kamwokya, they will have to stop at Mulago Roundabout. For those accessing the city from Entebbe Rd will have to stop at Usafi market.
For that access, the city from Kibuli will stop in the Industrial Area and those from Ggaba will stop in Nsambya. Riders from Bombo road will have to stop at Wandegeya as they will not be allowed to cross to Kmawokya.
Going forward, the cabinet has also resolved that all boda-bodas in Kampala city, will have to operate in gazette boda-boda stages and each stage will have a unique reference code, and that will be its name.
The riders will also have to be registered at any of the gazette stages and these will, later on, serve as their address to enable contact when it comes to tracing, incase of Covid-19 infection.
Liberty has been given to the riders to register at any of the gazette stages of their choice, and according to KCCA, no rider shall pay any fees to anybody for registration.
“Anybody soliciting a bribe should be reported to the relevant authorities, ”a statement from KCCA reads. (https://nilepost.co.ug/2020/07/26/boda-bodas-banned-from-accessing-city-centre-as-cyclists-return-to-carrying-passengers/)
As regards the Boda-boda App companies like SafeBoda in Kampala, they will also be subjected to mandatory sharing of the register of all their members, and even after they have been registered to a gazette stage.
