Police still reconstructing scene of Rajiv's fatal road crash
Police firefighters put off flames at the scene of the fatal crash at Busabala Flyover in the early hours of May 3, 2025, where businessman Rajiv Ruparelia lost his life after his vehicle overturned. Photo/Courtesy
What you need to know:
- "We are taking step by step and we are progressing very well because this matter is of public interest. This is the very way we handled the case of Aponye. We moved slowly and we were able to conclude that case,” Lawrence Niwabwiine
The Police is still reconstructing the accident scene where city businessman Rajiv Ruparelia lost his life on May 3 while traveling from Kajjansi toward Munyonyo.
Mr Lawrence Niwabwiine, the Director of Traffic Control at Uganda Police, told Monitor on May 12 that the investigations are progressing steadily. He said all relevant police units have been deployed to ensure the investigation is thorough and that a comprehensive report will be released soon.
“That incident is a traffic matter and in the near future, we are coming with a comprehensive report. We are taking step by step and we are progressing very well because this matter is of public interest. This is the very way we handled the case of Aponye. We moved slowly and we were able to conclude that case,” he said.
Meanwhile, while addressing journalists about the upcoming 2025 Road Safety Marathon, which is scheduled for May 31 at Old Kampala Secondary School, State Minister for Works and Transport, Fred Byamukama, acknowledged the rising fatalities on Ugandan roads. He said the government has introduced new measures aimed at reducing the carnage.
Among these, the Minister highlighted the implementation of an automated traffic control system that will issue express penalties to traffic offenders, the resumption of mandatory motor vehicle inspections starting in July this year, and the requirement that all passenger vehicles must belong to a registered transport association within a defined geographical zone and route. This, he said, would ensure drivers can be easily traced in the event of accidents.
The government has also partnered with several organizations to train First Aid Responders at highway accident hotspots to improve emergency response for victims of road crashes.
“Some people when an accident occurs, they rush to search the pockets of the victims instead of helping them to stopping the bleeding. Some of you blame road accidents on potholes but this morning when I was coming here, a boda boda man was involved in an accident with a vehicle along this clean road which does not have any single pothole,” he said.
Richard Young Owere, Chief Executive Officer of the Legacy Road Safety Initiative, said the fourth Road Safety Marathon has been organized in collaboration with organizations such as the World Health Organization, Ministry of Works and Transport, Ministry of Health, Red Cross, and the Ministry of Local Government. He said proceeds from the event will be used to train first aid responders at black spots along Uganda’s highways, starting with the Gulu-Kampala route.
Asked about how they plan to conduct the training, Owere explained that prior to the merging of Uganda National Roads Authority with the Ministry of Works and Transport, they had mapped accident hotspots along highways. They now intend to work with local organizations such as fuel stations, boda boda riders, and local leaders to identify people who can be trained in providing immediate first aid to accident victims.
“Their role is to provide them with first aid such as stopping the bleeding and stabilizing them before they can get backup such as ambulances to take them to hospital,” he said.
