By Eddie Ssejjoba 

Motorcycle taxi riders in Kampala City locally known as 'Bodabodas' and their leaders, Monday gathered at the offices of the Resident City Commissioner's (RCC) offices demanding for her resignation accusing her of peddling in the affairs of their industry.

The riders who comprised of leaders from the new Bodaboda 2010 Association Uganda Limited and the old associations came from all the divisions of Kampala and demonstrated along the streets.

They hooted as they rode in big numbers through the streets, chanted and waved placards along Kampala, Entebbe roads and along Nile Avenue.

They finally gathered along Pilkington Road where they gathered at Alice Muwanguzi's offices at the National Insurance Corporation building.

In the due course they paralyzed business and traffic in the city, but the police,  commanded by the DPC Central Police Station, Norman Musinga arrived at the scene and managed to calm down the angry riders.

The RCC's offices were locked at the time but the riders remained outside waving placards asking Muwanguzi to 'understand their mission' and asked her to stop interfering in the running of the bodaboda industry.

Musinga later persuaded the men to move to the Independence Square where they handed him a document which they had copied to different authorities.

In their presentation, they complained against the RCC's recent radio talk show messages where she condemned riders under the different association of confusing their colleagues and harboring criminals. 

Dirisa Muyanja, the Nakawa division riders' chairman said that over 128,000 riders operate in the four divisions but they had been working under the police and other security agencies to ensure they weed out wrong elements within their industry.

"It is not true that commercial motorcycle riders harbor wrong elements as the RCC said. We have actually helped in reporting and arresting iron-bar hit men and other wrong doers in the city," he said.

He said under their leadership, the riders are obliged to keep law and order and security in the city though they pay a fee at each respective stage as part of their 'welfare' contribution.

After listening to their complaints, the DPC asked the leaders to go to his office saying their stay in big numbers in the city would affect traffic flow.

"They have several complaints against the RDC who they accuse of creating confusion in their industry but I want to meet their leaders in my office and discuss the contents of their document for a way forward," he said.
Other riders complained that refusal to recognize their elected association would deny them access to government loan facilities.

"We appeal to the RCC to understand that we are for peace and ready to work with authorities to ensure security prevails in the city because we are a big force," a rider said.