Taxi Operators Decry Crackdown on ‘Ganyegenya’ Taxis, Cite Bad Roads and Low Income

What the report says

Taxi operators in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area are pushing back against a 100-day police crackdown on commuter taxis found to be in dangerous mechanical condition, arguing that the enforcement is cutting fleet numbers and reducing their income. The operation, known as “Operation Ganyegenya,” began on Monday, August 24, 2026, after a directive from the Minister of State for Works and Transport, Fred Byamukama.

According to the Nile Post report, police and road-safety officials say the campaign targets ageing 14-seater taxis whose condition poses risks to passengers and other road users. Traffic police spokesperson Michael Kananura said 178 public service vehicles were impounded on the first day, with vehicles taken from KMP East, KMP South and KMP North. The impounded taxis were being held at police stations ahead of transfer to a KCCA-secured yard in Nakawa.

Operators, meanwhile, say the crackdown has left passengers stranded at stages including Kawempe, Kazo-Lugoba, Matugga-Katooke, Misimu, Buloba and Bulega. Taxi operator Mustafa Mayambala said the ministry had not sufficiently engaged the sector and argued that poor roads are helping to damage vehicles and drive up repair costs. Authorities maintain that the action is about roadworthiness and safety, not closing down the taxi business.

More broadly, the dispute highlights a long-running tension between transport regulation and the economic pressures facing informal public transport operators in Uganda’s urban corridors.