All boda bodas (commercial motorcyclists) are to be registered at designated stages

The minister was speaking at an inter-ministerial committee meeting which brought together the Kampala Ministry, Ministry of Works and Transport, Ministry of Security, Ministry of Local government, police and representatives from boda boda associations in order to coordinate the activities of boda bodas and place them within the ambit of the law.

“The meeting resolved that KCCA gazettes boda boda stages within Kampala and the leadership of these stages should be formalized and known. Any stage that shall not be gazette will be illegal,” Kyofatogabye said.

He also revealed that the meeting resolved to train boda boda riders in collaboration with Police, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and the Uganda Driving Standards Agency.

“Collaborate with police and Uganda Driving Standards Agency to ensure boda boda operators are tested and issued with driving licences upon completion of training,” the minister stated.

The minister also emphasised that all boda boda riders operating in the five divisions of Kampala will be registered and given identification jackets which are peculiar to each division.

They shall also be given QR codes with their pictures well displayed on their backs for easy identification.

“The reflective jackets will identify a boda boda operator with the stage and division they operate from. Only operators that have been registered will be allowed to operate in the city,” he revealed.

A QR code (an initialism for quick response code) is a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional barcode), A barcode is a machine-readable optical label that can contain information about the item to which it is attached. In practice, QR codes often contain data for a locator, identifier, or tracker that points to a website or application.

The minister said boda boda riders must register at stage level with stage committees which will later ensure registration at division level.

According to the minister, in order to be registered, a boda boda rider will be required to present an original copy of their National Identity Card.

This registration begins on July, 1, 2022, and those who are not registered will be denied the commercial opportunity of operating in Kampala.

“If you don’t want to register yourself, find your level away from Kampala and it will not be a subject for discussion,” the minister said.

He added the government wants to have only one boda boda association, as is the case with taxi drivers. The latter operates under the Uganda Tax Operators and Drivers Association (UTODA).

However, although registration of boda bodas is required, attempts to carry it out in the past have often led to factionalism in the shape of several boda boda associations which have further splintered into laws unto themselves.

In 2010, for instance, boda bodas registered under Abdalla Kitatta were seemingly above the law as they were operating under the wing of senior police leaders until 2018 when Kitatta was arrested and jailed.

However, Kyofatogabye warned that government will not allow such lawlessness this time around.