Uganda: Govt Moves to Introduce Mandatory Colour Coding for School Buses and Vans

What the report says

AllAfrica, republishing The Independent of Kampala, reported on July 20, 2026, that Uganda’s government is preparing to require colour-coding for school vans and buses as part of a broader push to improve learner safety on the roads. The proposal is one of the recommendations from an inter-ministerial committee set up after a fatal accident in Kapchorwa involving pupils and a teacher returning from a school trip.

Assistant Inspector General of Police Lawrence Nuwabiine, the Director of Traffic and Road Safety, said the committee’s work has expanded beyond school excursions to cover the daily movement of learners to and from school. According to the report, authorities are concerned about overloaded, poorly maintained and recklessly driven school vans, as well as unsafe routes and schedules. The article also noted that some children travel by boda boda motorcycles, at times with several pupils on one motorcycle and without adequate protective gear.

The planned colour-coding is intended to make school transport more visible, easier for traffic officers to identify and monitor, and harder for unauthorised operators to use. The report said Uganda has previously issued school transport guidelines covering roadworthiness, licensing, driver competence and record-keeping, but enforcement has been uneven and often left to individual schools.

Further details, including the specific colour, implementation timeline and enforcement arrangements, have not yet been announced. The Independent also pointed to Kenya as regional context, noting that Kenya has adopted more detailed school transport rules, including operating-hour limits, seating requirements, stop-signal measures and penalties for non-compliance.