Legislators will hold a comprehensive debate on how to curb the increasing number of road accidents which have claimed many lives.
In a sitting of the House on Friday, 06 January 2023, the Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa directed the Minister for Works and Transport to present a statement on the road accidents and what the enforcing agencies are doing to curb the carnage.
Tayebwa cited the many accidents over the festive season which claimed many lives.
Some of the people killed in the accidents included the former Member of Parliament for Serere County, Patrick Okabe and his wife.
Three members of the family of retired Supreme Court Justice, Paul Mugamba were also killed in an accident on the Kampala-Mityana road.
Several people have also been killed in crashes involving public service vehicles with the latest being a bus that rammed into a stationary trailer on the Gulu highway near Kamdini on Thursday, 05 January 2023. The accident saw 16 people killed and 21 others seriously injured.
SP Patrick Jimmy Okema, the PRO-North Kyoga, has named the injured victims as; Akello Mary Lucy 44 years old from Kitgum, Auma Rose 47 yrs old from Kitgum, Oyo Francis 38 years old from Lamwo, Akanya Caroline 30 years old from Kitgum, Alimo Nancy 20 yrs old from Kitgum, Oluka Morris 28 years old from Gulu, Acele Denis 43 years old from Kitgum, Okwera David 35 years old from Kitgum, Okecha Patrick 36 years old from Zombo, Anyway Benson 55 years old from Pader, Akello Flavia 32 years old from Kitgum, Odur Albert 43 years old from Gulu, Acaye Joseph 30 years old from Gulu, Ayaa Beatrice 30 years old from Kitgum, Agwech Kevin 34 years old from Kitgum, Laker Christine 40 years old from Kitgum, Nafuna Rehema Sarah 27 years old from Mukono, Acen Proscivia 24 years old from Kitgum and three others who are not yet identified.
Tayebwa said these place the responsibility to scrutinize government plans to counter road carnage, on Parliament.
“The minister will be required to present a comprehensive statement that will be subject to a thorough debate. We shall need broad measures taken by the government to address road carnage,” Tayebwa who also lost a family member in a road accident, said.
The Deputy Speaker was concerned that the accident reports in the media are all attributed to reckless driving which he said must be checked.
He proposed the need to review the issuance of permits, a process he said has been compromised by those who obtain permits by bribery as opposed to the required proof of training.
Relatedly, Tayebwa said the state of potholes on roads within Kampala Capital City was deplorable, and requested accountability of the over US$200 million loan passed in the 10th Parliament to reconstruct 27 roads in the city.
“I have observed a lot of potholes in Kampala, and the solution they are providing is patching them; we passed a loan to reconstruct most of the roads under Kampala Capital City Authority, it is now two years yet I see potholes everywhere,” Tayebwa said.