KAMPALA, Uganda — The Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) has unveiled plans to gazette 929 boda boda stages across the five divisions of Kampala and limit registered riders to 27,870 as part of a sweeping transport regulatory reform aimed at restoring order and improving security in the city.
Under the proposed Kampala City Transport Regulatory Plan, passenger-carrying boda bodas will be banned from accessing the central business district (CBD). Only motorcycles carrying cargo or riding without passengers will be permitted to enter the city centre. Passenger boda bodas will instead be required to stop at designated peripheral stages.
KCCA says the move is intended to organise the boda boda sector, curb crime, and streamline urban mobility across Nakawa, Rubaga, Kawempe, Makindye and Kampala Central divisions.
According to Daniel NuweAbine, Head of Corporate and Public Affairs at KCCA, the authority plans to gazette 929 stages across the city, accommodating a maximum of 27,870 registered riders. So far, 166 stages have already been gazetted.
Each division will host 185 stages with approximately 5,574 riders, translating to about 30 boda bodas per stage.
“We want to see an organised city; each boda boda should belong to a specific stage for easy identification,” NuweAbine said, adding that structured stages would enhance accountability and improve coordination within the sector.
Under the new plan, unregistered riders will be barred from operating within Kampala.
The blueprint designates the CBD as a passenger boda boda-free zone. Riders entering via Jinja Road will stop at Kitgum House; those from Bombo, Hoima and Gayaza roads will halt at City Oil in Wandegeya; riders from Entebbe Road will stop at Clock Tower; while those approaching from Masaka Road, Nateete, Mengo, Rubaga and Wakaliga will stop at Berkeley in Bakuli.
Boda bodas will also be prohibited from operating near banks and within non-motorised transport (NMT) corridors reserved for pedestrians and cyclists.
The move follows earlier directives by the Minister for Kampala Metropolitan Affairs, Minsa Kabanda, who ordered the eviction of street vendors and unregulated boda boda operators from the CBD.
KCCA officials say the restrictions will be complemented by expanded mass transit options, including buses and commuter rail services. The plan references collaboration with Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC), the state-owned electric vehicle manufacturer based in Jinja. KMC’s Kayoola EVS electric buses are expected to serve as feeder transport from designated boda boda stop points into the city centre.
Authorities argue that a bus-based transport system will be safer, more affordable, and more efficient than the current informal motorcycle-dominated network.
State Minister for Kampala, Kabuye Kyofatogabye, warned that non-compliant riders would be “forcefully chased away” if they resist voluntary registration.
To qualify for registration, riders must present a valid National ID, a riding permit, and other required credentials before being issued a city operating permit. Each registered rider will receive a reflector jacket embedded with a QR code displaying identification details, assigned stage, division, and leadership structure. Different colours will be assigned to each division for easy identification.
The initiative stems from 2022 resolutions by the Uganda National Security Council, which called for nationwide registration and numbering of boda boda riders as part of broader security measures.
