By KT Reporter
Residents of Ndibulungi trading center in Luwero district staged a demonstration demanding the installation of speed humps along the Kampala-Gulu highway following a series of fatal accidents.
The latest tragedy occurred last week when a motorcycle carrying four people was involved in a hit-and-run accident, leaving Peter Mugume, Lawrence Bukaaga, Geoffrey Ssekibeyu, and Frank Chaha dead.
All four were residents of Ndibulungi trading center. Every week, sections of the highway between Luwero and Nakasongola districts experience accidents, a situation residents attribute to speeding vehicles and narrow roads.
Ndibulungi is among the fastest-growing trading centers in Luwero, having attracted six industries, including PRO Industries Pte Limited, which manufactures ethanol and extra-neutral alcohol (ENA), and Victoria Sugar Limited.
The growth has led to increased truck traffic, as vehicles deliver raw materials and collect products from the industrial facilities.
On Friday evening, residents mounted a barricade of logs along the highway, paralyzing traffic in both directions.
They demanded that the Ministry of Works and Transport take urgent measures to install speed humps in the trading center.
The protest was led by Isma Majanja, Chairperson of the Ndibulungi Boda Boda Stage, who said the accidents are caused by overspeeding, worsened by the absence of traffic-calming measures.
John Wasswa, the LC1 Chairman of Ndibulungi village, explained that residents had first appealed to district authorities to intervene but received no response.
By the time police arrived, the demonstrators had dispersed in fear of arrest. The Savannah Regional Traffic Police cited reckless driving and narrow roads as major contributors to accidents in the area.
The issue of installing speed humps along the Kampala-Gulu highway dates back to the 2015 road reconstruction, when the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) removed the humps.
District leaders and bishops have repeatedly urged the Ministry of Works to reinstall them, but UNRA only allowed selected petrol stations to erect humps at their sections to attract clients.
The government has rejected requests for humps on highways, arguing that they slow traffic and damage trucks transporting goods.
In 2013, President Yoweri Museveni directed the Minister of Works to remove humps, describing them as an inconvenience to road users.
According to the latest police report, 5,144 Ugandans died in traffic accidents in 2024, averaging 14 deaths per day, highlighting the urgency of addressing road safety along major highways.
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