UGANDA: DEATH TOLLS, ROAD CARNAGE ANNUALLY OVER 34000 PEOPLE PERISHED IN UGANDA-UGANDA LEGISLATOR

Uganda Police Traffic is busy on road users purportedly controlling traffic, while collecting money from truck drivers and motorists abandoned traffic guideline, on contrary road accidents happen.

Northern Uganda has recorded 11 people parishes on road carnage from 1 January 2022, including Uganda Legislator Okot Ogong, the Dokolo County MP.

Police Traffic Officers were beacon of hope, all police forces would run to them for help, now on the contrary they used their position to promote corruption, issues of corruption were not there in, whoever got in the deal, would face dismissal.

GULU-UGANDA:  The timeline report indicates that during the festive season, Aswa-River Region has been relatively normal and calm throughout the festive season, except of isolated incidences;

‘’Today Friday 14, January 2022. At around 9.50 hours Dokolo County South MP, Hon Okot Ogong who is also CEO Felistar Group (Voice of Lango Felistar Bus Service and Felistar Pharmacy) got involved in a serious accident at Agwata junction, Agwata Town Council.’’ The statement read.

Hon. Okot Ogong was returning to Lira from Agwata after a farm visit when a road user crossed the road abruptly and in an attempt to brake in order to save his life, the vehicle overturned. The road user’s life was indeed saved; we thank the driver for doing his best.

‘’Hon Okot Ogong and his driver sustained minor bruises on the hands and both are in very good shape and stable condition

According to the Traffic and Road safety department of Gulu Central Police Station reported serious accident which later turned fatal involving former Northern Uganda Regional Prison Commander retired Senior Superintendent of Prison Mr. Sabino Kigega

The incident occurred on January 14, 2022 at around 1400 hours near Boma Hotel within Gulu City. The cause of the accident, the retired Senior Prison Officer involved in a road accident while riding his motorcycle which collided with another rider on the motorcycle.

Later on, he died succumbed to the injuries from the accident at Aber Hospital in Oyam district, while his counterpart of the victim riding another motorcycle is still at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital struggling for his life

Luke Orach, 79 years old former Traffic Police Officer In-Charged of Lugazi Police ,now  a retired Uganda Police who live says in 1960s to 1980s police department was well furnish with transports, in case of any accident that occurred, police 999 patrol vehicle would impromptu report to the scene of the accident.

‘’During our times we were given full authority to arrest any road user who abuses police traffic rules, like a road accident person that is the first offender you give him or her written warning letter, but when the accident occurs for the second time, you arrest that person and take him to court. ‘’ Orach revealed.

Adds that the written warning was not only concerned with road accidents, but we give written warning to DMC vehicles, the second time we get them, we take them to court.

Orach wonders why police traffic officers these days are getting money from, saying during their time, police traffic officers were not getting money from taxi operators or truck drivers, because Police Flying Squad worked as counter intelligence, you don’t know who you are getting money from.

Police Flying Squad Officer they were also supplied heavily with vehicles, including Police Criminal Intelligence Department CID, and Police Special Branch you would be playing in their hand

Police Traffic Officers were beacon of hope, all police forces would run to them for help, now on the contrary they used their position to promote corruption, issues of corruption were not there in, whoever got in the deal, would face dismissal.

Okello, John, a driver who ply on Kampala Jinja highway decries over the road accidents, says he has lost his son a year ago.

Okello attributed the causes of road carnage on narrow roads and poor roads designed by Uganda Road Authority URA.

‘’For example, Kampala Jinja high way was designed to accommodates vehicle on single lane, but if the Ministry of Work had planned the road to have four lanes, our road carnage would be reduce, traveling from Kampala to Jinja would take you four hours to reach Mukono Municipality a distance of 20 kilometer, and Jinja will take you 6 hours, what a mess do we have.’’

ASP, David Mudong the Aswa-river Region Spokesperson advices police traffic officer and Uganda Police 999         to embark on the olden day when Uganda citizens run to police traffic officer on duty to save their lives, instead on being traffic police monster

‘’Whenever, and accidents happened, I do referred accident cases to Uganda Police 999 patrol units, and I do respect our police traffic officer to obey the constitution.’’ Aswa-River Police Spokesperson warned.

In 2019 according to police accidents records, 3,407 people died in road accidents, and in 2022. 3,663 died in road accidents.

Northern Uganda according to the Aswa-River police report indicated that 11 people died in road carnage alone in 2022.

Hon. Okot Ogong, one the Uganda Legislator from Lango Sub Region also has been a victim of road carnage, but, for him, luckily he survived.

The major causes of road carnage have been mainly carelessness, police traffic involved in corruption, leaving police policing.

Report also indicated that more than 3 half of the road traffic deaths are among vulnerable roads-20-50 million more people suffer non-fatal injuries.

Alfred Okello, one of the Taxi drivers on Gulu-Kampala highway, has a story to tell. Okello says that every day, he wakes up knowing he has to part with a list UGX 50,000 to bribe Police traffic.

‘’Every day when I wake up, in the morning I give UGX 5,000 on police check point four kilometer at Layibi check point, and another UGX 5,000 at Bobi police check point before proceeding to Kamdini, Lira Gulu junction where I have to deposit UGX 20,000, this a routine up to Kampala where money changes hand with Uganda Police traffic amidst gruesome accidents.

According to a UN report, approximately 1.3 million people die, the United Nations General Assembly has set an ambitious target of halving the global number of deaths and injuries from road traffic by 2030.