Government launches 100-day crackdown on unroadworthy taxis in Kampala

• The government says the operation targets taxis in dangerous mechanical condition, not the taxi business itself.

• Authorities identified vehicles with issues such as faulty doors, damaged seats, worn tyres and poor braking systems.

• Police will impound affected taxis and take them to a KCCA parking facility in Nakawa.

• The first phase covers Greater Kampala before the crackdown expands to other parts of Uganda.

The government has launched a 100-day operation to remove unsafe “Ganyegenya” taxis from roads in Greater Kampala and surrounding areas, citing concerns over passenger safety and poor vehicle conditions.

Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama said the crackdown targets taxis that have become dangerous to operate because of mechanical failures, including damaged seats, faulty doors, worn-out tyres and defective braking and steering systems.

Byamukama said the operation, which starts on Monday, is not a ban on the taxi business but an effort to eliminate vehicles that put passengers and road users at risk.

“Some of these taxis are DMCs (dangerous mechanical condition) and are not acceptable on the roads. At some point you find a driver driving while holding the door, which is risky for passengers and the driver himself,” he said.

The minister said authorities had inspected about 60 targeted vehicles over the past two months, but none met the required safety standards.

He said some of the affected taxis were old vehicles that had previously been involved in accidents, abandoned in garages and later bought cheaply before being returned to the roads after minor repairs.

“These are cars which got accidents some time back, and the owners abandoned them in the garages. But our own Ugandans buy them from these garages at a very cheap cost. They just put tyres and bring them on the road,” Byamukama said.

The government has partnered with the Uganda Police Force to enforce the directive. Police officers will impound vehicles found operating under the category and take them to a parking facility secured by KCCA in Nakawa.

The first phase of the operation will cover Kampala and Wakiso before extending to other parts of the country.

Byamukama said taxi operators whose vehicles meet safety requirements will continue operating, adding that the government supports the public transport sector but will not allow unsafe vehicles on the road.

The crackdown comes amid continued concerns over the condition of some public service vehicles in Greater Kampala, where taxis remain a key mode of transport for thousands of commuters.

The government said the 100-day exercise will provide a framework for removing dangerous vehicles and improving safety standards across the transport sector.