Kampala's Jam!

Since my family's move to Kira Municipality three years ago, the daily commute to Kololo, spanning just 11 kilometers, has become an arduous task. The quickest drive, achieved only past midnight with no jams or stopovers, still took 30 minutes. On regular days, this journey extends to approximately 45 minutes, and at times, a staggering three hours—navigating through potholes, dusty roads, and jammed stopovers. In short, every trip to town is about 2 hours or 6 hours back and forth on a daily - imagine one spending a quarter of their life in jam! 

The prospect of working from home every day is a tempting escape, as I'm sure it is for many residents in Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono, Entebbe, and the broader Kampala Metropolitan area and in recognizing this shared frustration, here are a few suggestions gathered from my experiences and those of others in the community, aimed at mitigating this draining challenge as we still need to access the city:

Immediate Solutions (Short Term):

1. Infrastructure Enhancement:

Introduce more flyovers and underpasses to ease traffic flow.

Tarmac additional feeder roads for improved connectivity.

Widen existing roads to accommodate increased traffic.

2. Maintenance Efficiency:

Ensure a rapid response to maintenance issues, fixing potholes promptly.

Mitigate soil erosion that affects drainage systems.

Establish a monitoring team for proactive road maintenance and issue resolution.

3. Traffic Management:

Introduce more one-way road systems for smoother traffic.

Remove old cars and untrained drivers to enhance road safety.

Conduct road works and maintenance primarily during night hours.

4. Cost Incentives for Public Transport - Implement measures to make self-driving costly, encouraging people to opt for public transportation.

5. Contract Accountability: Implement strict measures to revoke contracts of construction companies causing undue delays.

6. Political Expediency: Minimize the cost of politics and reduce the need for convoys, contributing to traffic reduction.

Sustainable Solutions (Long Term):

1. Overhaul of Public Transport: Replace matatus with a more efficient and organized bus system in the Kampala Metropolitan Area (KMP). Bigger & efficient buses carry more traffic than our 14 seater matatus reducing on the number of cars on the roads. 

2. Regulation of Bodabodas: Restrict or relocate bodabodas from the central business district to decongest roads.

3. Modernized Rail Transport: Introduce a modern and efficient train system to further enhance public transportation.

4. Urban Planning: Establish a new administrative city or area to redistribute key departments and activities, reducing congestion in the current central areas.

Decentralize the key public offices. Not everything should be addressed from kampala

5. Infrastructure Reclamation: Demolish structures encroaching upon roads or road reserves to restore effective traffic flow.

6. Contractual Accountability (Long Term):

Maintain a stringent approach to revoke contracts of construction companies causing unwarranted delays, ensuring timely completion of projects.

This comprehensive short and long-term strategy seeks to not only alleviate current congestion issues but also establish a sustainable framework for the future of public transport in Kampala. Through a combination of regulatory measures, infrastructure development, and proactive governance, the aim is to create an efficient, organized, and decongested urban transportation system.

Addressing these challenges requires a collaborative effort from residents, local authorities, and urban planners. By working together, we can hope to alleviate the strain of commuting and enhance the overall quality of life in our community.