The Ministry of Works and Transport says joint enforcement with police will begin against non-compliant operators, while separate inspections found nearly four in five commuter taxis unroadworthy.
Heavy dump truck operators who failed to present their vehicles for mandatory safety inspections risk having them impounded after the expiry of a 60-day compliance window on October 16.
The Ministry of Works and Transport said 492 dump trucks had undergone inspection by October 15, with 102, representing 20.7%, failing the tests. The remaining 390 trucks, or 79.3%, passed.
The inspection exercise, launched on August 17 in collaboration with the Uganda Police Force, followed concerns over road crashes involving heavy dump trucks, including Sinotruk vehicles.
In a press release issued on Friday, the ministry warned that dump trucks without valid inspection certificates would not be allowed to operate on public roads after the deadline.
“Joint enforcement operations with Uganda Police will commence immediately and defaulters risk impoundment,” the ministry said.
The inspections cover braking efficiency, steering, tyres, emissions, suspension, lighting systems, structural integrity and other safety-critical components.
Owners and operators who have not complied have been urged to present their vehicles at the Namamve and Kawanda inspection centres. The ministry said inspections would continue within the Kampala metropolitan area before being extended to other parts of the country.
The enforcement drive comes amid persistent concerns about crashes involving heavy commercial vehicles and smaller passenger vehicles, particularly commuter taxis.
On August 3, at least 14 people were reportedly killed and four others injured when a commuter taxi collided with a sand truck at Kamunga Trading Centre in Kalungu District. The victims were travelling in the taxi, while the truck driver reportedly fled the scene.
In March, seven people were killed and six injured in a crash at Namukunyu in Iganga District involving a Mercedes-Benz Actros trailer and a Toyota Hiace taxi. Preliminary police findings indicated that the taxi attempted to overtake another vehicle before colliding with the oncoming trailer.
Although the crashes highlight the potential consequences of collisions involving heavy trucks and passenger vehicles, the reported circumstances do not by themselves establish that mechanical defects caused either accident.
The incidents underscore the need to enforce vehicle roadworthiness standards alongside traffic regulations and measures to address dangerous driving.
423 Taxis Fail Inspection
The dump truck deadline comes as the ministry and police intensify a separate operation targeting commuter taxis with dangerous mechanical defects.
As of October 15, 423 of the 531 taxis inspected at Namamve and Kawanda had failed mandatory roadworthiness tests, representing 79.7%. Only 108 taxis, or 20.3%, passed.
The ministry identified faulty brakes, defective steering, worn-out tyres, failed suspension and malfunctioning lights among the defects that made the vehicles unsafe to carry passengers.
“These taxis were found with critical defects including faulty brakes, defective steering, worn-out tyres, failed suspension and lighting, making them unsafe to carry passengers,” the ministry said.
The vehicles, commonly known as ganyegenya, are being targeted under an operation intended to remove unroadworthy taxis from public roads.
The ministry said a joint operation conducted on the night of October 15 resulted in several taxis being impounded for operating at night after being declared unroadworthy.
In an earlier report, Nile Post reported that 499 vehicles had been impounded under the wider enforcement campaign, with the majority of those inspected failing roadworthiness checks.
The latest figures raise questions about how many unsafe vehicles may still be operating without inspection and whether enforcement will be sustained beyond the current operations.
Road Safety Concerns
Uganda Police’s 2025 Annual Crime Report recorded 26,044 road crashes, up from 25,107 in 2024. Fatal crashes increased from 4,434 to 4,602 over the same period.
The figures underscore the scale of Uganda’s road safety challenge and the need for consistent enforcement of vehicle standards, traffic rules and driver licensing requirements.
While mechanical defects can compromise a vehicle’s ability to stop, steer or remain stable, inspections alone cannot prevent every crash. Driver conduct, speed, road conditions, overloading and fatigue also affect road safety.
The ministry’s inspection exercise will test whether the government can translate roadworthiness results into sustained enforcement, particularly for vehicles carrying passengers and heavy commercial trucks.
For dump truck operators, the expiry of the compliance window means vehicles without valid inspection certificates risk being taken off public roads as enforcement begins.
The ministry has said the inspection programme will extend beyond the Kampala metropolitan area, widening scrutiny of heavy commercial vehicles across the country.