The Ugandan government has come under fire over the state of the country’s roads following a series of fatal accidents, including the tragic death of businessman and rally driver Rajiv Ruparelia. Minister of Works and Transport General Edward Katumba Wamala has defended road conditions despite shocking new statistics revealing 25,107 crashes and 5,154 deaths already recorded in 2024.

The minister’s statement came just days after Rajiv lost his life when his high-performance Nissan GT-R collided with a poorly marked barrier at the Busabala flyover construction site along Entebbe Road. Eyewitnesses and police reports confirm the vehicle hit the unmarked obstruction, overturned, and burst into flames, killing the prominent businessman instantly. The accident has sparked nationwide outrage, with many blaming contractors for leaving dangerous obstacles on roads without proper warning signs or reflective markings.

Katumba maintained that Uganda’s roads are “in a fairly motorable condition,” though he acknowledged most are currently under construction. “Road safety remains a shared responsibility,” the minister emphasized, while revealing the alarming crash statistics that show no signs of slowing despite government investments in infrastructure. The numbers paint a grim picture of Uganda’s roads, with fatalities continuing to rise year after year.

The minister outlined multiple factors contributing to accidents, dividing responsibility between human behavior, vehicle condition, road quality, and environmental factors. According to police data he cited, speeding alone accounts for 45% of crashes. Katumba specifically addressed concerns about construction zones, pledging the ministry’s commitment to safety standards. “We recognize the critical importance of ensuring safety for work zones and all road users,” he stated, though his assurances ring hollow for many grieving families.

A persistent challenge, according to the minister, remains the vandalism of road signs and safety equipment. “This undermines road safety and endangers lives,” Katumba noted, though critics argue this explanation doesn’t account for poor contractor practices and lax government supervision. Across urban and peri-urban areas, construction sites frequently feature unmarked barriers, inadequate lighting, and missing warning signs – turning busy roads into potential death traps after dark.

As the nation prepares to lay Rajiv to rest, pressure mounts on the Ministry of Works and Transport – which absorbed responsibilities from the disbanded Uganda National Roads Authority – to urgently address safety at construction sites. The prominent businessman’s death has become a rallying point for thousands of other crash victims and their families demanding immediate action.

Road safety activists point to systemic failures in how construction projects are managed. “Proper signage and barriers are basic requirements that shouldn’t depend on public complaints,” said Denis Ochieng of the Uganda Road Safety Initiative. “When contractors cut corners and inspectors look the other way, people pay with their lives.”

The Entebbe Road corridor where Rajiv died has become symbolic of these failures. Multiple construction projects along this critical artery have created a patchwork of hazards, with inconsistent signage and sudden lane changes confusing drivers. At night, the dangers multiply as reflective markings are often missing or obscured.

Katumba’s appeal for public vigilance – urging citizens to “protect public assets and report safety concerns” – has been met with skepticism from those who believe basic safety shouldn’t rely on chance civilian reports. “Why should ordinary citizens be responsible for identifying hazards that professional road builders and inspectors should have addressed?” asked Kampala resident Sarah Nalwoga, who lost a cousin in a similar crash last year.

As funeral arrangements continue for Rajiv, whose cremation is scheduled for Tuesday, the debate over road safety has taken on new urgency. Business leaders, road safety advocates, and ordinary citizens are demanding stricter oversight of contractors and immediate improvements to danger zones across the country’s road network.

The government finds itself at a crossroads – either genuinely addressing the systemic issues plaguing Uganda’s roads, or continuing to offer explanations while the death toll rises. With thousands of families already grieving and construction projects ongoing nationwide, the coming weeks will test whether Rajiv’s tragic death becomes just another statistic or the catalyst for meaningful change in Uganda’s approach to road safety.

For now, the question remains: Are these truly “motorable” roads as the minister claims, or deadly pathways where only the vigilant survive? As Uganda mourns another preventable loss, the nation waits to see whether words will translate into action before more lives are cut short on its hazardous roads.