By KT Reporter
The newly constructed Kumi Roundabout, hailed for its striking, modern design, has dramatically reduced accidents along the busy Kumi-Mbale highway.
Before its completion earlier this month, the junction connecting the Mbale-Soroti road to the Ongino-Ngora road was a notorious blackspot where three to five accidents were recorded every week.
Regional Traffic Officer SP Mathias Mulumba Okwir reports that only one accident has occurred in the past four months and credits the roundabout’s design for curbing speeding and creating a more orderly traffic flow. His team has also held training sessions, especially for boda-boda riders, on how to navigate the new traffic pattern safely.
The change is equally evident to the people who live and work nearby. Sam Olupot, who sells chicken near the roundabout, says he has not witnessed a single accident since it opened. Taxi operator Sam Isamat notes that drivers are now compelled to slow down, while Sarah Ibore, a local shop owner, recalls the days when vehicles approached the intersection without any regulation, causing frequent collisions.
Ibore believes that the project was designed with public safety in mind, particularly for pedestrians crossing from the Shell petrol station to Ongino Road. She also highlights an unexpected benefit: new solar-powered security lights that have deterred nighttime crime, allowing shops to stay open later and residents to feel safer.
Local leaders see economic potential in these improvements. James Kyomya, acting Resident District Commissioner, has encouraged residents to capitalise on the safer, well-lit environment by setting up evening businesses and boosting household income.
However, surrounding districts such as Soroti and Bukedea still lack basic traffic-management infrastructure. Soroti City, for example, has no roundabout, and the Moroto-Serere junction on the Lira-Mbale road remains a major accident hotspot. Bukedea District has neither roundabouts nor traffic lights, leaving road users vulnerable.
The Kumi Roundabout now stands as a model of how thoughtful urban planning and community engagement can save lives, reduce crime, and stimulate local business, a template many hope will soon be replicated throughout the region.
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