Ministry Bars Three Buses in Road Safety Crackdown After Fatal Crashes

What the report says

Nile Post reported that Uganda’s Ministry of Works and Transport has stopped three passenger buses from operating after an impromptu inspection at Kisenyi Bus Terminal in Kampala found they did not have valid Public Service Vehicle licences. The affected operators were identified as Friendship Coaches, Omupakasi Buses and Ibabu Coaches. A fourth bus, belonging to Baby Coach, was ordered to undergo a mandatory mechanical inspection before it can return to service.

The inspection was led by Commissioner for Transport Regulation and Safety Winston Katushabe, alongside the Kampala Capital City Authority and Traffic Police. According to the report, officials said the operation followed public complaints and concerns that some operators were ignoring basic safety requirements, including route charts and PSV licensing. Inspectors also raised concern about buses kept inside the terminal as if under repair, including some said to have previously been found mechanically unfit.

The enforcement action comes after recent deadly road crashes intensified scrutiny of public transport safety. Nile Post cited the King David Junior School bus crash in Kapchorwa, which killed 24 people, including schoolchildren, and a separate northern Uganda collision involving a passenger bus and a truck that left at least 14 people dead. The crackdown is therefore being framed by transport officials as part of a broader push to enforce compliance and reduce risks to passengers.

The ministry also addressed the role of informal brokers at the terminal, accusing them of misleading passengers and issuing fake tickets. Terminal manager Saturday Muhwezi said non-compliant buses were stopped from loading, with passengers moved to compliant vehicles. Bus companies will reportedly be limited to seven registered, uniformed guides each, in an effort to remove unauthorised brokers from the terminal.