Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) public relations officer, Mr. Peter Kaujju has said that the authority is about to review the operation contract of Pioneer Easy Bus.

Kaujju says that KCCA has already set up a committee to start reviewing the contract of Pioneer Easy Bus Company.

KCCA wants Pioneer Easy Bus Company, in the new contract to build its own bus lanes, stages and parking areas for all the buses the company owns.

But Kaujju says that Pioneer Bus Company did not honour its first agreement it signed with the then Kampala City Council (KCC). Sources however told us that Pioneer Bus Company doesn’t pay taxes to KCCA.

The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) also last week suspended pioneer bus company operations over nonpayment of taxes.

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The company this morning moved to act on its threat to hike the fares with the minimum fares across the different routes by an average of shs 500.

Passengers plying the bweyogerere Route will have to part with 1500 shillings while Bugoloobi and other shorter routes are now at 1000 shillings.

Lukwago says that the contract signed clearly stipulates that the fares must be regulated and approved by Kampala capital city authority.

He says the authority has not been consulted nor permitted pioneer to increase the fares.

Lukwago adds that he is to convene a council meeting as soon as possible to discuss the developments.

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The Chief executive officer of pioneer Easy Buses Fred Senogga says where they have been charging 500 shillings, they are going to be charging 800,  while fares previously at 800 shillings, increase to 1000 shillings.

Those previously at 1000 increase to 1500 shillings.

Senogga says the new charges will only be reviewed after the parliamentary report expected next week.

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Several Christians and Muslims have been killed in Uganda in a clash. Over 14 people including Muslims and Christians died on Tuesday morning in a bus accident that occurred at Marongo in Lwengo District along Masaka-Mbarara highway in central Uganda (Buganda kingdom).

Also over other 50 people have been admitted in Lyantonde district Hospital with severe wounds and broken ribs and borne.  The Southern Region Police Commander, Simon Peter Wafana said the accident involved a Horizon bus reg. no. UAM 937B. He says that the accident was caused by over speeding and reckless driving.

The bus driver failed to negotiate a sharp corner and the vehicle went off the road and overturned, its fuel spilled out and burst into flames. The bus driver who was driving it from Goma, Kasese heading for Kampala died behind the driver’s seat.

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The Uganda Government is already prepared for Al Shabaab. Uganda’s security agencies are all on high security alert. A source in the Military told us that Uganda’s army, the UPDF has already passed out 180 crime preventers to beef up the security in taxi and bus terminals.

Kampala Metropolitan Police commander, Andrew Kaweesi says that the police working with other security agencies have beefed up security at bus terminals and taxi parks.

The managers of taxi and bus parks have been instructed by the police to conduct compulsory security checks on travelers before them board buses and taxis. Suspected Al Shabaab fighters last attacked Uganda on July 11^th 2010.

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The family members of people president Museveni’s government kept in prison without trial broke down in tears on Monday. This development occurred after the Luzira Prison authorities failed to produce the suspects who were arrested in 2009 to court.

The suspects were arrested in September 2009 during the three dayBuganda riots. The riots resulted following the government’s refusal of the Kabaka of Buganda and his Katikkiro to tour hiscounty ofBugerere (Kayunga district). The suspects were scheduled to appear before court today but the relatives of the suspects broke in tears when the Prison’s bus arrived without the suspects.

Only five prisoners facing minor charges such as assault and indecent assault disembarked from the Luzira prison bus. The relatives cried bitterly cursing president Museveni’s regime for denying their relatives a right to justice for three years.

The suspects include: Candida Nsubuga, Robert Sekabira, Nsubuga Kamada, Jethro Livingstone, Bashir Tyaba, Kassim Ntanzi, Salim Magoba, Paul Kikulwe, Gerald Kagga, Musa Ssengendo, Hakim Lwanga, Muzafaru Mugisha, Richard Kijjambu, Juma Sekyanzi, Adaadi Kibuuka, Sam Ssemambo, Sadat Luswata Buyungo, John Gafumba, , Joseph Katamba, Bob Kakembo, Elisa Mujuni, Mohammed Sekatawa, Meddie Nsubuga, Emmanuel Muteesaasira and Rogers Zinda.

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The parliament halted pioneer easy bus project during a meeting with the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director, Ms Jenifer Musisi and Lord Mayor of Kampala Erias Lukwago.

The woman MP for Kalungu district, Florence Kintu summoned the KCCA director and Lukwago to explain to MPs the circumstances under which Pioneer Easy Bus Company Ltd obtained a contract to operate in the Metropolitan area which includes Wakiso, Kampala and Mukono.

The MP said that their committee based on the submissions made by the KCCA officials to halt the contract of Pioneer Easy Bus Company.

The parliament launched investigations into the validity of Pioneer Easy bus company contract to operate in Kampala Metropolitan area following a petition to Parliament by leaders of Mukono and Wakiso districts seeking Parliament‘s intervention to inquire the legality of the contract pioneer Easy bus signed with KCCA.

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Although the busses are now parked opposite Kampala Parents primary School in Kampala they are not expected to start operating on March 01 as it was earlier reported in the media.

The Director of Kampala in charge of planning, Joseph Sentongo says that the Bus P.roject has not been finalized and what is about to be unveiled is a pilot project to establish the efficiency of the bus transport industry. He says that the project may not kick off before the city authorities find a place which is going to serve as a bus park.

Sentongo says that KCCA wants the bus transport system in Uganda to be as modern as it is in United   Kingdom. The buses were supposed to offer transport services from Kampala to Luzira, Bweyogere, Ntinda, Mulago, Nakawa and Namugongo. We are told that the government plans to create a bus lane on Bombo road near Wandegeya.

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The district leaders of Wakiso and Mukono allege that pioneer easy bus illegally got the contract to operate in their areas of jurisdiction.

The district leaders of Mukono and Wakiso say that they want Pioneer Bus to operate only inKampalasince they were licenced by KCCA.

According to the programme at parliament, the management of Pioneer easy bus will appear before MPs on Friday to defend themselves against accusation of corruption. The woman MP for Kalungu, Florence Kintu confirms that parliament is probing pioneer easy bus and KCCA. She says that preliminary evidence shows that pioneer bus got the contract to operate in Wakiso and Mukono illegally because there was no advertisement to that effect. She says one can not be given a licence to operate in another district without involving the leaders of the district in question.

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Hundreds of students, pupils and general passengers have been seen stranded in taxi and bus parks across the country as heavy traffic jam affected the easy movement of vehicles.

The situation was chaotic in Lango sub region. Most of the students and pupils from there who study in Buganda kingdom schools remained stranded atLiraBusParkas there was no taxi or bus to take them.

Consequently many pupils and students who study in central region from northern Ugandan have not reported to school today as per the programme.

In Masaka, Mbarara, Nakasongola, Mbale, Jinja and Iganga among other districts the passengers blamed the taxi and bus operators of hiking transport fares. There was heavy deployment of traffic police along the roads to curb road accidents.

By Moureen Nakyanzi

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