Masaka boda boda riders protest new fees
AIGP Asuman Mugyenyi (L) with Masaka DPC Henry Kavuma hand over money to Mr Akram Mushaija at the Masaka Boda Boda Cyclists Sacco offices in Masaka last year. PHOTO BY Martins E. Ssekweyama
Masaka. A section of boda boda riders under their umbrella group of Masaka Municipality Boda Boda Riders Association have protested new compulsory fees levied by the leadership of Masaka Boda Boda cyclists Credit and Savings Cooperative Society.
In a bid to fight the rampant motorcycle theft, the district cooperative leadership introduced a weekly fee of Shs3,000 payable by each boda boda rider, to facilitate in the hunt down of the crooks and help victims acquire new motorcycles on credit.
In January, the collection of the fees commenced and those who had paid were issued with stickers.
However, the poor payment response prompted the authors to invoke traffic police into an operation to arrest the defaulters, in which more than 120 motorcycles were impounded last week.
This operation threw the boda boda fraternity in Masaka District into disarray, with the disgruntled cyclists accusing their leaders of siphoning funds from their meagre savings for their selfish intentions.
Mr Abdullah Ssennabulya, the leader of the association, revealed that a few months after its inauguration in 2013, the said Sacco became personalised by few individuals who misused members’ savings.
“We started the Sacco as a united group but to our dismay, it was quickly marred with gross mismanagement and majority of us lost our trust in it,” Mr Ssennabulya stressed during their meeting with security officials.
According to Mr Ssenabulya, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Gen Kale Kaihura, through the Community Policing directorate, embarked on courting the boda boda cyclists into forming cooperatives which he (Kayihura) financed with cash handouts and projects.
According to Mr Ssennabulya, the IGP had in 2014 supported the Masaka Boda Boda Cooperative Society with a poultry project of 1,000 layers and a revolving fund of Shs5 million, but both the chickens and the money didn’t meet the intended purpose and can’t be traced.
However, Mr Maxwel Ogwal, the Southern region police commander, denied the claims, saying his office had never heard of such a donation project.
Mr Twaha Walugembe suggested that police should investigate the acts of Mr Akram Mushaija, the Sacco chairperson, and his treasurer Musa Kabugo, if they wish to end the disagreement. “We can longer abide by the suggestions of self-seekers,” he said.
Mr Linos Ngompek, the Masaka Resident District Commissioner, halted the new fees and instructed police to release the impounded motor vehicles, arguing that the stickers are against the presidential directive of exempting the cyclists from taxes. Mr Mushaija, the chairperson of the Sacco, acknowledged the existence of the funds and receipt of the IGP’s contribution but declined to comment on the accusations of misappropriation of funds.
