We have taken note of false claims attributing the traffic gridlock experienced last night along the Kampala–Masaka Road to H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s convoy. While delays are regrettable, it is inaccurate and misleading to place responsibility on the President’s convoy.
For clarity, very limited and time-bound road closures during Presidential movements are standard operating procedures world over and are carefully coordinated to minimize disruption. In this instance, several other factors significantly contributed to the congestion.
These included the heavy end-of-month traffic as many motorists were returning from upcountry holidays, poor road discipline by some drivers who failed to respect other road users and created multiple lanes, and a heavy downpour that reduced visibility and compelled some motorists to temporarily park and wait for the storm to subside. Significant overnight delays occurred at the same time last year, when there were no presidential campaigns in districts along the route.
It is therefore incorrect to politicize and wrongly attribute this unfortunate event.
We encourage the public to consider the full context of such situations and to exercise patience and responsible road use, especially during periods of heavy traffic and adverse weather conditions.