Police officers under probe over heavy trucks crossing R.Kafu Bridge

Police in the Albertine region are investigating their own Police officers for allegedly allowing heavy trucks to cross the damaged bridge on River Kafu.

The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) last month stopped heavy trucks from crossing the bridge on the Hoima-Kampala highway following the river breaking its banks due to the heavy rains and damaging sections of the infrastructure. 

As a result, UNRA officials visited the road and only allowed small vehicles to use the remaining narrow road.  

However, it is reported that despite the closure of the bridge to heavy goods trucks, the traffic Police officers have made it a money-minting place which has seen the truck drivers part with different amounts of money to cross the bridge as a way of avoiding taking the recommended detour given by UNRA they consider costly, too long and far. The detour(s) are Kigumba-Masindi route to Kampala Gulu or use Buhimba-Kakumiro-Mubende road.

This is the damaged Kafu Bridge at River Kafu

The investigation against a group of Police officers who were deployed to prevent heavy trucks from crossing the bridge was disclosed by Hoima district Police commander Jackson Bogere on Sunday while at Kafu bridge.

 Drivers who have been crossing the bridge said they pay shillings 10,000 to Police officers before crossing from Kyankwanzi to Hoima district or vice versa.  

After New Vision Online published a story about how the truckers were crossing the bridge on Wednesday last week, the Hoima district, Bogere intervened to address the mess which could result in catastrophe.

The operation

Bogere said that on Sunday at about 1:00 am, he made an abrupt operation to the bridge to find out if the information that was going around that heavy truck drivers who were crossing the bridge at night between 11:00 pm and 4:00 am was true.

He noted that during the operation, he was shocked to find several heavy truck drivers preparing to cross the bridge and they had bypassed all signposts showing that trucks and buses are not allowed to cross the bridge.

Bogore said during the operation, he managed to arrest five drivers and one person who intervened with money to bribe Police officers to rescue the driver.

“I carried out this operation after we discovered some drivers who are going against the signpost showing that they are supposed to cross the bridge and during this operation, we arrested five drivers to serve as an example to those who are paying to go against UNRA guidelines since it has not yet allowed heavy trucks to cross the bridge,” he said.

When asked why he did not arrest the Police officers implicated in the crafty schemes, Bogere said the Police Professional Standards Unit had been involved in the issue and they had started probing the officers over the allegations.

He noted that the drivers whom he declined to identify were interrogated and they were giving out good information to Police which would help them into the investigation of the officers.

Albertine Police spokesperson Julius Hakiiza confirmed the development adding that the suspected drivers are being detained at Kitoba Police Station and that the investigation against their Police officer has kicked off.