________________

KAMPALA - “When you work as a taxi driver, getting dressed up and putting on make-up feels like a bit of a waste,” says Hajarah Birabwa, 42, a taxi driver on Kibuye Entebbe stage and a resident of Busabala in Kampala.

Birabwa, whom New Vision found downtown Kampala loading her taxi ahead of a trip to Entebbe said being a taxi driver was always her dream, however was reluctant to pursue it as she thought it was a job for men.

According to the Federation of Uganda Taxi Operators, they had 100 women who were driving taxis before COVID-19, however many lost jobs while others flew out of the country for greener pastures.

With interventions from Plan International through its Kampala Urban Program, currently, the federation has 200 women registered in the taxi business including drivers, conductresses, taxi park scouts, and administrators.

Birabwa said in 2012 when she was pregnant with her fourth child, she decided to join the taxi industry after city law enforcement officers confiscated the merchandise she used to vend from the roadside. 

“I joined the taxi business to fend for my school-going children with whom we were struggling with school fees since their father was not supportive,” she said.

She narrated that in the same year, she asked her neighbor to offer her a conductress position in his taxi and agreed to; however, was told to pay sh500,000 stage fees in the taxi park, which she did not have. Birabwa said the stage chairperson excused her from paying as a way of encouraging more women taxi drivers.

Challenges

Just like all other women who venture into previously male-dominated fields, women in the transport sector encounter challenges, which include dealing with misconceptions before returning home to be moms, wives, and daughters.

Birabwa recalled that when she was a conductress, she would face the challenge of drivers who would want to lure her into love affairs as she worked with them.

“All those drivers that would express love intentions would immediately fire me after I turned them down,” she said.

She said she would often spend time in the taxi park without work until she decided to ask for a vehicle that she would totally manage including employing the driver as she served as the conductress.

Birabwa narrated that when she got the vehicle in 2019, she would ask the driver to instruct her into driving lessons.

“Whenever I would get a chance to learn to drive, I would dedicate all my mind and body to that. In 2020 I had learnt and was driving with my license,” she said.
She noted that on the side of customers, she would be disrespected often throwing insults at her.

She said some men would often extend bad touches onto her making the work space feel unsafe at times.

Achievements

The taxi driver expressed pride in her job saying that from it she has been able to construct a house in her plot of land and that she is also educating her children together with her husband.

Birabwa added that she has also learnt some mechanical skills.

“At home, I am still a woman,” she said as she thanked her husband for supporting her to do her work. “When I am to get home late, I call my husband and notify him. It gives me joy that he at times cooks if he gets home before me,” she said.

The story of Lydia Nabaweesi, 25, another taxi driver on the Kasubi-Nansana-Busunju stage is not so different from that of Birabwa.

Nabaweesi said her parents always objected to her intentions of joining the taxi industry, to the extent that they enrolled her in a technical school to learn cosmetology but failed to complete and joined the taxis as a conductress at the age of 18.

Lydia Nabaweesi, 25, a taxi driver in her taxi loading for a trip. This was downtown Kampala on March 6, 2024. (All Photos by Lawrence Mulondo)

“I was the only woman on the Nansana stage by then among over 500 men. Some drivers with whom I worked would offer me a lot of money to sleep with me but I declined as I had a dream of driving that I had to achieve,” she said.

She said that one time she started working with an old man at the Nansana stage who she said would respect her and also taught her how to drive for two years.

Nabaweesi added that on learning to drive, she faced resistance from men at the stage as men would say they could not operate on the same stage as a woman however she turned a blind eye and deaf ear to all these.

“They were always clear that this was men’s work and that I was taking their jobs, but I ignored them all and worked.”

She has bought two plots of land for her mother and hopes to construct houses. Nabaweesi advised women not to despise jobs adding that this is always the entry to absolute poverty.

What leaders say

Jenifer Sentongo, the Administrative secretary for the Federation of Uganda Transport Operators (UTOF), said in the transport sector, they have women in driving, conductress scouts, and administration.

Sentongo said before COVID, they had about 100 registered female taxi drivers, however, many have flown out of the country for greener pastures leaving the number to about 50.

It is said that there are about 200 female drivers and conductresses registered by the federation at the moment.

She said the federation has a disciplinary committee that she said listens to the ladies' grievances and ensures that they get justice and a safe space to operate in.

Fatumah Nakalenzi who drove the taxi from 2013 and retired in 2019 advised the female driver to avoid being distracted by men in the taxi park.

She asked the government to help put up nurseries at different taxi parks where mothers can leave their children and carry out their taxi driving without worrying.

What development partners say

Casiano Kansiime the Urban Program Manager for Plan International explained that through their Kampala Urban Program have mentored women to venture into male-dominated economic institutions and activities including the transport industry.

He said they are working with over 100 women in the urban areas, encouraging them to become drivers and conductors to improve their livelihood.

“We are doing this because we feel that as we talk about equality. We should be able to see women doing what the men can do as they make up a big percentage of the country and also behind in many aspects,” he said.

He said through engagements of women and their male counterparts, some women have been trusted and are now driving long routes with some transiting to buses and trailers.

He said empowering women is also important because they are mostly the ones who take care of the welfare of the children and family at large.