TRAFFIC CONGESTION CHOKES WANDEGEYA AND KIKONI ROADS

 

By GUMISIRIZA ROBERT

KAMPALA – Residents and road users in Wandegeya and Kikoni continue to struggle with heavy traffic congestion, worsened by malfunctioning and missing traffic lights, which has turned daily travel into a big challenge

During evening and morning hours, long waiting lines of cars, taxis, and boda-bodas stretch for meters, especially along the busy routes like those leading to Makerere University, town, Nakulabye, Mulago and along Sir Apollo Kaggwa Road. With traffic lights either malfunctioning or absent, traffic officers are left struggling to manually control movements, usually with limited success.

“Many of the jams you see here are caused by failure of road users to follow traffic rules,” said Atuhaire Moses a traffic officer at Wandegeya. “We try to maintain order, but the road users complicate our work especially when drivers refuse to cooperate by following  the traffic rules.”

Travellers say the congestion has become part of their everyday life. Betty Nampijja, a commuter from Kasubi, explained how the jams cost her time and peace of mind. “Sometimes I spend over 40 minutes just moving a nose to mouth distance. When the traffic lights are not working, it becomes more difficult because every driver wants to move first.”

For transporters, the impact is more than just lost time. It hits their pockets. Bashir Nsubuga, a taxi driver, said his earnings have reduced because of the delays. “In one day, I make fewer trips. That means less money. Fuel is also wasted in traffic. We are suffering.”

However, as the traffic jam constrains other road users around Wandegeya and Kikoni, for the business community like local shops, hawkers and road venders find it a blessing in disguise. Beinomugisha Shallom a fruit vendor says that traffic jams though frustrating, bring them unexcepted customers. “When vehicles are stuck, passengers buy fruits from us through the car windows.” she added.

Despite these frustrations, residents and stakeholders believe solutions exist. Suggestions include repairing and maintaining the existing traffic lights, adding new ones at busy junctions, widening some of the narrow roads, and sensitizing road users about discipline. “We need long-term planning,” noted Oganga Stanley OC traffic officer Wandegeya. “Kampala keeps growing, but the roads and systems remain the same.”

As Wandegeya and Kikoni continue to grow as commercial and residential places, the problem of traffic congestion remains a pressing issue. Without urgent intervention from authorities, road users fear the jams will only worsen, straining livelihoods, businesses, and safety in the heart of the city.