The dust when Museveni visits

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda’s economy reportedly loses billions of dollars annually due to reduced productivity, according to various reports. A major contributor to this loss is traffic congestion. A World Bank report estimates that at least US$800 million—equivalent to nearly 3 trillion Ugandan Shillings—is lost each year as commuters and cargo trucks spend hours stuck in traffic jams.

The extent of these losses varies depending on the time of day and the nature of events in a given area, with peak hours being especially problematic. Among the least quantified but highly disruptive factors is the presidential convoy, which often consists of more than 50 vehicles and leads to the closure of multiple roads and streets for hours, severely affecting traffic flow and business operations in the affected areas.”

According to public opinion, presidential convoys create particularly severe disruptions, making life difficult for business operators, travelers rushing to catch flights, and professionals trying to arrive on time for meetings. Politics is about people, and politicians will find crowded places enticing to visit as a fertile hunting ground for votes, approval ratings, or feedback.

A visit by Uganda Radio Network to randomly selected places revealed a mixed picture by the residents, with many, however, decrying the loss of time and business. For example, President Yoweri Museveni has been on a tour of the country to assess the progress of the Parish Development Model (PDM), and was in Kampala last week.

Traders in Kawempe Division shared mixed reactions and concerns about the impact of his visits, with some lamenting that their businesses were disrupted due to the heavy security detail that accompanies the president’s movements. Mohamed Ssendagire, a businessman at the Kawempe Taxi Stage, said that when the president is expected in an area, roads are closed almost 45 minutes to an hour before he arrives or passes through.

Ssendagire explained that this frustrates many businesses during that time, as customers cannot move due to the closure of roads. According to him, the president sometimes gives out some money to the residents, but this cannot offset the time lost and the sales foregone because such handouts only benefit a few people.

In some instances, premises are cordoned off to ensure controlled access to the venue.  When, for example, he visited the Busega area, the Busega Taxi Park, a terminal for commuter mini-buses mainly plying the southern and western Uganda routes as well as Kampala Metropolitan and Central Uganda areas, was taken over for the major event. Business operators in and around the park had to close their businesses.

Motorists using the Kampala Northern Bypass to connect to Masaka and Mityana highways had to look for alternative routes, even long after the events at the market had ended, fearing to ‘gamble’ on the possible disruptions. Tahiya Nanteza, who sells merchandise on the roadside, mentioned that even when the president is just passing through on his way to areas along Bombo Road, such as Luweero or Nakasongola, she is not allowed by security to display her goods until he has passed.

Nanteza added that sometimes the military guarding the president acts harshly toward ordinary people, creating a sense of fear. Because of this, people refrain from using certain routes, which reduces her customer base.

Esther Nakafeero, who operates an electronics shop in Kawempe, said that they have no problem with the president visiting the area, as long as it doesn’t block the movement of people. Nakafeero acknowledged that the president must have tight security, but emphasized that this should be done with consideration for citizens whose businesses and daily activities are disrupted.

Two or so decades ago, it was a bit different when the president would travel to a place.

Before his visit, the local leadership, religious and cultural leaders, as well as the business community and schools, would make adequate preparations to welcome the President, and this would climax in mass feasting funded by the government.

However, over the years, this trend has steadily changed with security forces taking over all the presidential tours of the country and celebrations being held at the citizens’ cost, for instance in his recent visit to Yumbe district to preside over the commemoration of over 20 years of Peace in West Nile, people had to be ferried from all corners of W. Nile to Yumbe to show support to the visit of the president and his programmes.

Local leaders, especially the MPs and Local Council V, had to take up the burden of mobilizing and funding people to attend to the president, while the business community was tasked to provide vehicles, fuel, and money to meet the welfare needs of the people who traveled to attend the President’s address and cheer him.

Information URN obtained about the recent visit of President Museveni to Yumbe indicates that bus owners and wholesale business operators had to part with between one and 2 Million Shillings to the advance team, while fuel station owners had to surrender dozens of litres of fuel to vehicles transporting NRM supporters to Yumbe.

To understand why this trend has changed, putting the cost of President Museveni’s tour of the country on the citizens, URN spoke to Fadhil Lemeriga, a political analyst, and according to him, President Museveni’s recent visit to Yumbe had a more negative impact than a positive impact on the people of West Nile.

Experience of traders along Gaba RoadLike everywhere else, every time President Yoweri Museveni travels along Ggaba Road in Kampala, small business owners and traders brace themselves, not for excitement or pride, but for losses. What should be a routine presidential movement has become a source of frustration for entrepreneurs whose incomes depend on the smooth flow of traffic and footfall, according to views by public.

On days when the presidential convoy is expected, sections of Ggaba Road are sealed off hours before the motorcade passes. Traffic is brought to a standstill as shops are forced to shut down and customers are blocked from accessing businesses.

And informal traders, including boda boda riders and hawkers, are ordered off the streets. John Okello, a boda-boda rider who stages at Kabalagala, a busy commercial center, said he loses money and clients every time the road is blocked. “It’s worse when the convoy moves during peak hours. We are stopped from moving, yet our job depends on constant movement. That can be 20,000 shillings lost in a few hours,” Okello said.

Irene Tintin, a salon operator at At Busiga Water Pump, located about 200 meters off Ggaba road, explained that although the motorcade does not pass directly on the road to her salon, she still feels the spillover effect. Tintin, whose clients mainly have their hair done on appointments, explained that when Museveni travels along that road, the [telephone] network in her business area is jammed and she cannot communicate with her clients on the changes they have to make to their appointments.

The Uganda Police Force, responsible for securing presidential movements, has long defended the practice as necessary for the president’s safety. According to protocol, advance teams ensure all roads the president uses are clear of people and potential threats, often hours before and after the motorcade passes.

Walter Atiko, a senior economist and macroeconomic advisor currently doing charity work in northern Uganda, weighed in on the importance of presidential security, saying it is a fundamental aspect of national stability and economic continuity.

Atiko explained that in the economics of national security, the president needs to be protected at all costs, especially in Africa, where the economic, political, and emotional consequences for that country are devastating and outweigh the inconveniences of any security measures. According to Atiko, the collapse of leadership, especially in Africa, can have ripple effects far beyond the presidency.

Atiko used a basic economic analogy to illustrate the concept of trade-offs: “If you go to a café and you only have enough money for tea, not coffee, you settle for tea. That’s opportunity cost, foregoing one thing to gain another. In this case, the temporary cost to businesses or transport is the price we pay for long-term national stability.

”He concluded by urging Ugandans to understand the bigger picture that presidential protection is not about privilege, but about preserving national order. Atiko advised the citizens to look beyond the temporary inconvenience and see the broader implications, and be forward-looking, conduct flexible planning.

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