Taxi driver or potential killer? Uganda’s deadly culture of reckless driving

What the report says

Recent crashes and a police operation against commuter taxi drivers have put Uganda’s public transport safety back in focus, according to Nile Post. In Kampala, traffic police said 11 taxi drivers were arrested during a night operation at Maya on the Kampala–Masaka Highway over alleged dangerous loading. The arrests came after deadly incidents in Lwera and Kakira, where taxi crashes killed 14 people and then two more, respectively.

Traffic Police spokesperson Michael Kananura said the drivers were intercepted after allegedly using night travel to avoid checkpoints. He said police are stepping up intelligence-led enforcement and warned that overloading can destabilize vehicles and increase the risk of losing control or overturning. The report also describes wider concerns around speeding, dangerous overtaking, fatigue, poor vehicle condition and pressure on drivers to meet daily earnings targets.

Nile Post framed the arrests as part of a broader road safety crisis in which risky driving has become normalized for many commuters. It cited police figures showing Uganda recorded 26,044 road crashes in 2025, up from 25,107 in 2024, with more than 5,300 deaths and over 40% of crashes linked to reckless driving. The article argues that safer roads will require consistent enforcement, better oversight of vehicle condition and loading, and shared responsibility from drivers, owners, passengers and authorities.