Uniting Truth And Context: A Call For Dignity And Justice On Ugandan Roads
Odongo speaks for millions of ordinary Ugandans who suffer on our roads. Overloaded taxis, reckless drivers, and bribe-hungry officers are not a figment of exaggeration – they are part of a lived experience. As he rightly points out, a bus licensed for 59 should not become a livestock carrier or a suffocation cell for 100 human souls. His frustration is warranted, his recommendations logical.
Uganda Today Edition: Uniting Truth And Context: A Call For Dignity And Justice On Ugandan Roads
An Open Letter to the Inspector General of Police and Director of Traffic and Road Safety, Uganda
By Concerned Ugandan Citizenry
Dear Inspector General of Police and Director of Traffic and Road Safety,
This letter finds you at the confluence of two powerful voices – one, Comrade Newton Noble Odongo, crying out against systemic corruption along our roads; and the other, Lady Juicy Nabuzale, rising in defense of the traffic police who toil daily under grim conditions. Their contrasting arguments, though seemingly opposing, illuminate a deeper truth: the Ugandan road crisis is not simply a matter of corrupt individuals – it is a reflection of broken systems.
Odongo’s Pain is Real. So is Nabuzale’s Context.
Odongo speaks for millions of ordinary Ugandans who suffer on our roads. Overloaded taxis, reckless drivers, and bribe-hungry officers are not a figment of exaggeration – they are part of a lived experience. As he rightly points out, a bus licensed for 59 should not become a livestock carrier or a suffocation cell for 100 human souls. His frustration is warranted, his recommendations logical.
Yet, Nabuzale’s defense brings a necessary balance: while we criticize the officers at checkpoints, do we ever ask why a human being in uniform must survive on a paltry salary, buy their own fuel to reach an accident scene, or stand for hours in scorching heat without a bottle of water or a basic meal allowance?
Indeed, corruption has roots. A hungry officer is an easy target for compromise. Nabuzale reminds us that until we match our expectations with realistic reforms and budgetary justice for the police force, we are merely managing symptoms, not the disease.
Both Bribe Giver and Bribe Taker Are Guilty
Odongo condemns the officers who take “kitu kidogo.” Nabuzale rightly challenges the road users who offer it. This culture of “facilitating” impunity must be challenged from both ends. Law enforcement must act justly, but citizens, too, must grow a backbone of principle.
Let’s Not Forget the Mabati Mafia
And here is where Nabuzale delivers a thunderous punch: why do we shout when a traffic officer takes UGX 10,000 but stay silent when politicians steal billions in iron sheets, COVID funds, and parliamentary bribes? Are we a nation that scapegoats the poor while worshipping the corrupt elite?
Indeed, traffic officers might be the visible face of corruption, but they are not the root of Uganda’s accountability crisis.
Towards a Unified Way Forward
The way forward requires honesty, empathy, and accountability across the board:
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Reform Police Welfare: Fair pay, field allowances, insurance, and transport facilitation must become standard for traffic officers. Let us professionalize them to a point where corruption is no longer a survival tool.
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Deploy Technology: As Odongo suggests, digital surveillance and ticketing systems can remove human discretion from enforcement. Machines do not negotiate bribes.
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Empower Ethics Units: Let the Police Professional Standards Unit (PSU) be visible, responsive, and feared – but also fair. Publish names of corrupt officers and those who attempt to bribe.
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Punish All Corruption Equally: As Nabuzale urges, let us demand accountability from both the “small fish” and the “big sharks.” A public servant stealing an iron sheet from Karamoja is as guilty as a constable taking a boda bribe.
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Foster Public Collaboration: Build forums where citizens and police interact constructively. Mutual trust is the soil in which integrity grows.
In conclusion, we thank both Comrade Odongo and Lady Nabuzale for holding a mirror to our nation. Let us not pick sides, but rather, let us act together. A safe, just, and corruption-free road system is not the duty of the police alone – it is a shared responsibility.
Respectfully,
A Coalition of Concerned Road Users, Law Abiders, and Reform-Minded Citizens
Kampala–Lira–Mbale–West Nile
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