MPs angry about deaths on roads
Jul 22, 2007
MPs have attacked the Government over the increasing number of deaths in road accidents and demanded that the ministries of works, internal affairs and health should take action to stop the carnage.
By John Odyek and Milton Olupot
MPs have attacked the Government over the increasing number of deaths in road accidents and demanded that the ministries of works, internal affairs and health should take action to stop the carnage.
Led by Alice Alaso (Soroti), the MPs cited a recent victim, former MP Edward Wesonga Kamana, who died at an accident ‘black spot’ on the Kampala-Jinja highway.
“The carnage on our roads is so bad. We can mention Wesonga but there are so many Ugandans who are not known who are dying in road accidents,†Alaso said on Thursday.
She lamented that work being done to reduce the blind spots on Kampala-Jinja road was moving at a snail’s pace.
She revealed that several MPs had escaped death from road accidents, citing Charles Willy Ekemu (Soroti) and Simon Toolit (Gulu).
Alaso moved a motion asking Parliament to set up a select committee to investigate road accidents in the country. She said the sight of burnt trucks and crashed vehicles along Uganda’s main roads was horrifying.
Edward Ssekandi, the Speaker of Parliament, noted that the procedures for setting up the select committee would take time.
He, therefore, directed the committee on infrastructure to produce a special report on road accidents within one month and table the report in Parliament for debate.
He advised the committee to take note of the various issues raised by the MPs.
The MPs observed a minute of silence for Kamana.
“He died abruptly. He was a popular member of Parliament,†Ssekandi said.
Dr Elioda Tumwesigye (Bushenyi) said in addition to bad roads and vehicles in bad mechanical state contributing to the carnage, a lot of accident victim were dying while on their way to hospitals because of the absence of proper ambulances and due to the poor transportation mode.
MPs have attacked the Government over the increasing number of deaths in road accidents and demanded that the ministries of works, internal affairs and health should take action to stop the carnage.
Led by Alice Alaso (Soroti), the MPs cited a recent victim, former MP Edward Wesonga Kamana, who died at an accident ‘black spot’ on the Kampala-Jinja highway.
“The carnage on our roads is so bad. We can mention Wesonga but there are so many Ugandans who are not known who are dying in road accidents,†Alaso said on Thursday.
She lamented that work being done to reduce the blind spots on Kampala-Jinja road was moving at a snail’s pace.
She revealed that several MPs had escaped death from road accidents, citing Charles Willy Ekemu (Soroti) and Simon Toolit (Gulu).
Alaso moved a motion asking Parliament to set up a select committee to investigate road accidents in the country. She said the sight of burnt trucks and crashed vehicles along Uganda’s main roads was horrifying.
Edward Ssekandi, the Speaker of Parliament, noted that the procedures for setting up the select committee would take time.
He, therefore, directed the committee on infrastructure to produce a special report on road accidents within one month and table the report in Parliament for debate.
He advised the committee to take note of the various issues raised by the MPs.
The MPs observed a minute of silence for Kamana.
“He died abruptly. He was a popular member of Parliament,†Ssekandi said.
Dr Elioda Tumwesigye (Bushenyi) said in addition to bad roads and vehicles in bad mechanical state contributing to the carnage, a lot of accident victim were dying while on their way to hospitals because of the absence of proper ambulances and due to the poor transportation mode.