The Ugandan government has launched a 100-day enforcement exercise, dubbed "Operation Ganyegenya", targeting commuter taxis operating in Dangerous Mechanical Condition (DMC) across the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA). The operation, which started on August 24, 2026, aims to remove taxis with damaged seats, defective doors, worn-out tyres, and unsafe steering systems from the road. According to the 2025 annual crime report, 76,069 out of 322,441 traffic offenders arrested were apprehended for using vehicles in poor mechanical condition.
The operation is a justified road-safety intervention, but its ultimate safety impact will depend on what replaces the DMC taxis it removes from the road. Passengers may opt for alternative transport options such as other "roadworthy" taxis, bodas (motorcycles), or walk longer distances. However, these alternatives may pose a bigger safety risk to road users relative to the risk from a DMC taxi. For instance, motorcyclists accounted for the largest share of seriously injured road users, representing 55% of all cases in 2025.
The national annual crime report reveals that collisions involving pedestrians were reported as the most common type of road traffic crashes, accounting for 20% of all crashes in 2025. Majority of these pedestrians were either crossing the road (43%), walking along the road (32%), or standing by the roadside (9%) at the time of the crash. The operation may increase the number of road users who are vulnerable to these fatalities, as evidenced by stranded passengers on the first day of the operation due to the scarcity of taxis.
Taxi scarcity may encourage over speeding and overloading of the few operational taxis. The operation has reduced the number of available taxis, yet commuter demand remains unchanged. A reduced fleet creates an economic incentive for the few remaining operators to maximise the number of trips, especially during peak periods. This could create new risks through driver fatigue, speeding, and rushed loading or unloading.
On a positive note, the recently revived mass public transport system could leverage the 100-day operation by offering commuters a safer alternative. The operation presents an opportunity for the government to accelerate the transition to bus-based transport while retaining roadworthy taxis as feeder services in areas that buses cannot easily reach. Removing unsafe taxis from the roads would create room for safer, higher-capacity, affordable, and better-regulated public transport.
Responsible stakeholders should expand the bus fleet to ensure that the public transport system can meet growing demand. Roadworthiness inspections should become routine, not abrupt. A 100-day operation may remove visibly dangerous vehicles, but it does not by itself create a sustainable road safety system. A better approach would be periodic inspection, certification, routine maintenance records, and consistent enforcement.
According to Rehema Kahunde, a research analyst at the Economic Policy Research Centre, a sustainable road safety system requires more than just removing DMC taxis from the road. The government should prioritise expanding the bus fleet and implementing routine roadworthiness inspections to ensure that vehicles do not deteriorate to the "Ganyegenya" stage before government intervenes.
Key points
- The Ugandan government's operation targets DMC taxis, but raises concerns about road safety and transport alternatives.
- The operation may shift risks from mechanical to behavioural, such as driver fatigue and speeding.
- A sustainable road safety system requires routine inspections, certification, and consistent enforcement.
