Just two weeks after the tragic death of youthful businessman and rally driver, Rajiv Ruparelia, in a road crash at the Busabala Flyover in Wakiso District, another car accident has occurred at the same exact location raising further concerns about government inaction and road safety.
According to eyewitnesses, a woman driving a Subaru Legacy on the night of Saturday, May 17, narrowly escaped death when she slammed into the same set of concrete barriers that claimed Rajiv’s life in Makindye Ssabagabo on May 3.
“Good Samaritans rushed to the scene and struggled to pull the woman out of the wrecked car,” one of the eyewitnesses reported. Traffic Police Spokesperson Michael Kananura confirmed the incident, stating, “It was a minor accident. There were no serious injuries, but I’m yet to get more details.”
The recurring crashes at this hazardous spot have sparked intense public outrage over road safety and the lax responsibility of contractors and relevant government agencies. At a vigil held for Rajiv on May 4 at his parents’ home in Kololo, Kampala, Mr. Balaam Barugahara, the State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, made a passionate appeal:
“I appeal to the Ministry of Works and Transport, if we have not yet received money for the construction works, let us remove all the barriers because they are so deadly. Another person died at the same spot a day after Rajiv’s death,” Mr. Barugahara alarmed.
His concerns were echoed by Ms. Beti Kamya, the Inspector General of Government (IGG), who also attended the vigil. She emphasized the need for accountability and caution in public infrastructure projects:
“It’s a clear message to people constructing roads that their responsibility should not stop at constructing roads, but also making the space safe,” Ms. Kamya said.
Despite the growing pressure, the Ministry of Works and Transport issued a clarification that construction work on the deadly stretch had stalled. Gen. Katumba Wamala, the Minister, said the contractor, China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), suspended works in October last year due to delayed payments.
The road works were originally contracted under the now-defunct Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) in 2021. The project aimed to upgrade 11 kilometers of the road—including the flyover and its supporting facilities—with completion scheduled for January 2024.
As the community continues to mourn Rajiv and now watches in fear as more lives are endangered, calls for immediate intervention and removal of the barriers grow louder. Yet, despite the increasing toll, the government response remains frustratingly slow, and the “Rajiv killer spot” continues to pose a deadly threat to road users.
