Police arrest suspected drunk Sino Truck driver
Michael Kananura, the Traffic and Safety Directorate spokesperson, identified the driver as Martin Oponya, saying they found him drunk and without a valid permit.
Police arrest suspected drunk Sino Truck driver
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As the crackdown on reckless truck drivers starts, Police on Monday, August 10, 2026, arrested a driver of a Sino Truck registration number UA 367AM and impounded his vehicle after he failed to adhere to a traffic directive.
Michael Kananura, the Traffic and Safety Directorate spokesperson, identified the driver as Martin Oponya, saying they found him drunk and without a valid permit.
Kananura noted that Oponya will be arraigned before court and charged accordingly.
“The driver of a Sino truck number UA 367AM, identified as Oponya, was arrested at Maya checkpoint along Masaka highway after he failed to stop when directed by traffic police in Mpigi on Monday night at about 8:00 pm. Upon interception and further checks, the driver was found to be driving under the influence of alcohol and without a valid driving licence. He is currently detained at Maya police, pending court proceedings,” Kananura said.
“We reiterate our commitment to enforcing traffic laws and taking firm action against motorists whose conduct puts the lives of other road users at risk,” he stated.
Oponya’s arrest comes in the wake of the Ministry of Works and Transport's directive last Wednesday for the immediate vetting of all Sino Truck drivers and mandatory inspection of all the trucks in the wake of increased accidents across the country. This follows a public outcry and safety concerns surrounding the frequent deadly road accidents, reckless driving behaviour, and infrastructure damage linked to these heavy-duty commercial trucks.
Winstone Katushabe, the commissioner for transport regulations and safety in the Ministry of Works and Transport, said the competence of these drivers and the roadworthiness of their trucks must be ascertained before they get back to the road again.
Katushabe said this last Wednesday during a coordinated compliance and enforcement operation at the Namirembe Road Bus Terminal, which was conducted jointly by the Ministry of Works and Transport, Traffic police and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA).
The operation forms part of ongoing efforts to ensure that only compliant, safe and roadworthy public service vehicles operate on Uganda’s roads, protecting passengers and all other road users.
His comments also come in the wake of a Monday, August 3, 2026, night accident in which 14 people were killed in Lwera Swamp, Kalungu District, on the Kampala–Masaka Highway. The crash, which happened at around 11:00pm at Kamunga Trading Centre, involved a Toyota Hiace taxi, registration number UA 662AQ, and a Sino truck, UBS 040F, which was transporting sand.
It also comes in the wake of a similar crash on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, involving a motor vehicle registration number UA 099DX, Howo Sino Truck, and motor vehicle registration number UBA 630X Toyota Corolla in Rubanda district, where several people were injured.
Katushabe said these categories of vehicles, by virtue of their work, are now required to undergo periodical mandatory inspection for conformity to minimum road safety requirements.
While releasing the 2025 annual traffic statistics in April this year, Traffic and Safety Directorate director at the Uganda Police Force, Dr Lawrence Niwabiine, said that a total of 26,044 road traffic crashes were reported in 2025, compared to 25,107 crashes recorded in 2024, representing an increase of 3.7%.
Niwabiine said that of the 26,044 crashes, 4,602 were fatal, meaning that one or more lives were lost, while 13,563 were serious and 7,879 were minor.