Kampala, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | Police statistics reveal that at least 91 individuals lost their lives in a tragic combination of road accidents and crime incidents in Uganda over the Easter holiday period this year.
Breaking down the figures provided by law enforcement, it’s reported that 46 fatalities were attributed to criminal activities, while 45 resulted from traffic collisions. These unfortunate incidents occurred within the timeframe spanning from March 28 (Holy Thursday) to April 01 (Easter Monday).
Michael Kananura, the spokesperson for the traffic police, disclosed that among those who lost their lives in road accidents, 22 were motorcycle riders, 10 were passengers, and an additional five were passengers riding on motorcycles.
“The road crashes left 120 people injured and they were recorded on various roads. However, Kampala metropolitan area, Albertine, and Wamala regions had the highest number of road crashes during the Easter period,” Kananura said.
Both police statistics and reports from civil society organizations like Safe Way Right Way (SWRW) consistently highlight a concerning trend: a significant proportion of motorcycle riders and their passengers suffer fatal injuries or life-threatening harm in road accidents due to the failure to wear crash helmets.
Fred Enanga, speaking as the police spokesperson, noted that out of the 46 reported deaths during the Easter holidays, several were attributed to mob justice, aggravated robbery, and incidents of domestic violence.
Enanga further stated that law enforcement has taken action by apprehending 52 suspects believed to be linked to these crimes and killings recorded during the holiday period.
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“In total, we recorded 62 incidents of reportable crimes which was an increase compared to 44 incidents registered during the 2023 Easter period. Out of the 62 reportable incidents, 46 people were killed. 10 murders were by mob action, nine were of aggravated robbery, four were domestic violence, and eight murders,” Enanga said.
Enanga mentioned that law enforcement conducted operations in the regions of Gombe and Matugga within Nansana Municipality, resulting in the arrest of 20 suspects on Good Friday. Additionally, police heightened security measures in Moroto district during Easter, responding to intelligence indicating potential Turkana attacks.
Kananura emphasized that the traffic police would persist in their operations targeting traffic violators across various routes. He highlighted that during Easter week alone, 786 individuals were apprehended for driving with invalid licenses.
“Eighty-nine people had no driving licenses. 435 people had expired driving licenses, 257 people had out-of-class licenses and five drivers had forged driving licenses. All the eight defaulters were charged in court,” Kananura said.
