Taxi drivers told on unity, being sober

By Eddie Ssejjoba                          

The chairman general of NOTU has revealed he asked President Yoweri Museveni to stop the police from harassing taxi drivers in the city.

Usher Wilson Owere’s argument for that move was that taxi drivers are good people who are contributing to the development of the country through paying taxes and employing the youth.

NOTU in full is the National Organisation of Trade Unions – a body set on promoting and defending workers’ interests in Uganda.

Owere confessed to being a strong supporter of Museveni for his great role in liberating Uganda from bad leadership.

He said he had longed to meet President Museveni in person to explain to him issues pertaining to the taxi business in Kampala.

And when he did get the chance, he did just that.

“When I got the opportunity, I told the President that taxi drivers are actually good people with positive motives of contributing to the development of the nation who should not be mistreated. He told me he would talk to the police boss, General Kale Kayihura.”

The NOTU leader was speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of the executive committee of Kampala Operation Taxi Stages Association (KOTSA) at Lweza along Entebbe Road on Thursday.

KOTSA is affiliated to the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers’ Union (ATGWA Uganda) that falls under NOTU.

Yasin Ssematimba (below in white) was sworn in as chairman of KOTSA and Mawejje as spokesman.
 

Members recently elected their leaders after meeting Gen. Kayihura at the police headquarters in Naguru where he apologized to them for the harassment inflicted on them by the police who had been dispersing their meetings using teargas.

‘Be sober’

Several members were arrested and detained on alleged orders of the police boss, but he vehemently denied knowledge of such instructions and apologized to them.

He also ordered his commanders to stop interfering in the running of taxi business.

Owere said he later met the IGP and explained to him that the drivers were not against the police but he could have been fed on wrong information, further informing Kayihura that they were willing to work with all stakeholders for the good of the security of the city.

He said he was happy that the IGP later realized the truth and allowed them to elect their leaders.

But the NOTU leader cautioned drivers to be careful, stay good and avoid hurting anyone in the transaction of their business.

He said they should remain sober when transporting people and be united because President Museveni was willing to work with anyone.

Catherine Ocom, the regional internal security officer in charge of Kampala South, represented the RCC of Kampala and assured the drivers of total collaboration in maintaining security in the city.

The guest of honor at the ceremony, Arinaitwe Rwakajara (below, centre), who is also Workers MP, applauded the drivers for joining the trade union, saying they now qualified to fight for the rights of workers.
 

The MP called upon other taxi stages to join the trade union and pledged to organize special trainings to educate them on the rights of workers and their roles as leaders.

He said the 27 new leaders should work for the wellbeing of the members and pledged to always fight for their rights.

On his part, the new chairman Ssematimba said they had faced a lot of negative forces until they decided to join the trade union.

According to him, they plan to start a SACCO to enable drivers get loans to buy their own vehicles and pay back in installments like it happens for bodabodas (motorcylists).

Ssematimba said they welcome working with other groups and KCCA and the police and applauded the IGP for finally realizing that they are not wrong people as he had reportedly been told.



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