Situated in Makindye Ssabagabo, Wakiso district, the Busabala fly over has in the recent months caused numerous accidents and deaths yet it seems like stakeholders are not doing anything to fix it.
The flyover, which has been undergoing construction for years is characterized by poor lighting, lack of clear road signs, and poorly placed barricades.
On May 3, 2025, the Flyover claimed the life of Rajiv Ruparelia a prominent businessman and son to Tycoon, Sudhir Ruparelia. According to eye witnesses, his car struck concrete barriers at the Flyover, overturned, and burned to flames.
Over the weekend, a female motorist died in the same spot after crashing her Subaru Legacy (UBQ 900J) into the barriers.
This adds to the numerous accidents that have occurred at the Busabala Flyover, infuriating Ugandans.
The public blames and holds the government responsible, yet the government blames the Contractors.
Recently, the Minister of Works and Transport Gen Katumba Wamala, revealed that China State Construction Engineering Corporation was contracted to work on the road in 2011. However, they halted construction works in October 2024.
“The Busabala road contractor suspended works over delayed pay. They were demanding Shs43B. I presented a paper to the cabinet in October 2024 and parliament later passed a supplementary, which has since started coming in,” Gen Katumba said.
This begs the question, did the contractor receive their money and is adamant to resume construction or did the government hold back the supplementary funds?
Whichever the case, stakeholders need harness and fix the flyover, before it becomes a dungeon of death.
Whereas temporary signage has been placed at the flyover, long term plans like completion of road works, regular inspection of roads by government agencies, proper road safety measures during construction and mass sensitization on traffic rules should be drawn.
In as much as the government and contractors are at fault here, we cannot throw the entire blame on them. As road users, we need to look into our mannerisms while driving.
According to a rapid assessment of road crashes in Uganda by Springer Nature Link, poor road usage has largely contributed to road accidents and deaths.
“Drivers and riders use mobile phones while driving; theft of signs occurs along roads; overtaking occurs in narrow areas; and some drivers and riders have poor vision, are incompetent, or show no respect for other road users, thus endangering the lives of road users country-wide,” Springer Nature Link notes.
Other factors mentioned in the assessment include riders using apps like Uber, SafeBoda, Jumia, tend to drive while distracted because they use their phones for direction, limited use of seatbelts and driving vehicles that are in poor mechanical condition.
Blaming each other will not spare the lives of road users neither will it bring back the lives of lost ones. The government, contractors, stakeholders and the public at large all ought to do their part as citizens of Uganda to fight the rampant accidents that are claiming our lives.
