At least 154 drivers were arrested across the country for various traffic offences during the just-concluded Christmas festive season, Police have said.
Addressing journalists at Police Headquarters in Naguru on Monday, the PRO-Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety, Michael Kananura, said the arrests were made between 22nd and 28th December 2025 during intensified road safety operations.
Kananura said 38 drivers were arrested for driving without valid licences, 12 for driving under the influence of alcohol, while 42 were apprehended for reckless driving, mainly involving unsafe overtaking and speeding.
Another 42 drivers were arrested for carrying excess passengers, alongside 13 cases of dangerous loading and seven abandoned vehicles.
“These arrests were part of our enhanced enforcement during the festive season. Despite the increased traffic volume, we registered fewer crashes compared to the same period in 2024,” Kananura said.
He noted, however, that road crashes during the period still claimed lives and left several people injured, with vulnerable road users bearing the brunt of the fatalities.
According to Police, motorcyclists—both riders and passengers—accounted for 44% of the total fatalities, while pedestrians made up 34%.
Crashes involving motor vehicles were mainly attributed to careless overtaking 28%, speeding, 18% and following too closely 10%.
Kananura cited one of the most tragic incidents recorded during the period, in which seven members of the same family died in a head-on collision along the Masaka–Mbarara Highway in Lwengo District.
The crash occurred in the early hours of Saturday, December 27, at Njagalakasayi, involving a Fuso Fighter truck and a Toyota Fielder.
Police said the driver of the Toyota Fielder, who was travelling from Masaka, crossed into the lane of oncoming traffic and collided with the truck.
“All the seven occupants of the Toyota Fielder—a man, his wife, their four children and the man’s brother—died at the scene,” Kananura said.
He attributed the overall improvement in road safety to joint efforts between Police and stakeholders, including the Ministry of Works and Transport, the Uganda Professional Drivers’ Network (UPDN) and the media.
Key interventions included the enforcement of ‘Arrive Alive’ operations, use of route charts to prevent unauthorised return journeys by bus operators, deployment of breath analysers to curb drink-driving, and strict action against unroadworthy vehicles and those fitted with illegal or modified lights.
As the country heads into the New Year, Kananura said traffic operations will continue and urged all road users to prioritise safety.
“We call upon all road users to observe speed limits, avoid drink-driving and reckless overtaking, maintain safe following distances and limit night travel where possible,” he said.
Police wished Ugandans a crash-free and peaceful 2026, urging everyone to stay alert, stay responsible and stay alive
