{"id":46140,"date":"2026-07-16T15:54:36","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T13:54:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/?p=46140"},"modified":"2026-07-16T15:54:36","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T13:54:36","slug":"refugees-and-cost-community-drivers-in-uganda-accuse-police-of-extortion-and-misconduct","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/16\/refugees-and-cost-community-drivers-in-uganda-accuse-police-of-extortion-and-misconduct\/","title":{"rendered":"Refugees and cost community drivers in Uganda accuse police of extortion and misconduct"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Jurugo Emmanuel Ogasto<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

South Sudanese refugee drivers and their counterparts from the Ugandan host community in Adjumani District have jointly accused traffic police officers of alleged extortion, unfair enforcement of traffic laws, and unprofessional conduct, calling on the government to intervene.<\/p>\n

The grievances were formally presented on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, after hundreds of passenger service vehicle (PSV) drivers, boda boda riders, and tricycle operators temporarily blocked the Adjumani\u2013Moyo Road before marching peacefully to the Office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) in Adjumani Town Council.<\/p>\n

The protest brought together transport operators from across the district, including South Sudanese refugee drivers from Maaji and Pagirinya refugee settlements and drivers from the host community, who said they have experienced similar challenges while carrying out their daily transport business.<\/p>\n

The drivers alleged that despite possessing valid driving permits, vehicle licenses, and other required documents, they are frequently stopped at traffic checkpoints where some officers allegedly demand cash payments ranging from UGX 20,000 to UGX 50,000.<\/p>\n

They further claimed that drivers who refuse to pay are instead issued with Express Penalty Scheme (EPS) tickets.<\/p>\n

The transport operators also raised concerns over what they described as inconsistent enforcement of traffic regulations, alleging that some officers treat road users with disrespect and that there have been instances of officers reporting for duty while intoxicated.<\/p>\n

“We are not against the law. We respect traffic regulations and want safer roads, but the law should be enforced fairly, professionally, and without corruption,” one of the drivers told officials during the meeting.<\/p>\n

The drivers further appealed for the transfer of the officer in charge of traffic in Adjumani District, arguing that confidence in the current traffic leadership has diminished.<\/p>\n

Following the protest, the Resident District Commissioner’s Office convened a meeting attended by leaders of the drivers, boda boda, and tricycle associations; security officials; and a representative of the District Police Commander (DPC) to discuss the concerns.<\/p>\n

In a statement issued after the meeting, the RDC’s Office acknowledged receiving complaints of alleged extortion, unfair application of traffic regulations, arrogance toward road users, reports of drunkenness while on duty, and other administrative shortcomings.<\/p>\n

The meeting resolved that all grievances would be addressed through the appropriate administrative channels, while matters requiring higher authority would be forwarded to senior police leadership for further action.<\/p>\n

The RDC’s office emphasised that traffic law enforcement should be firm, fair, and respectful, noting that traffic regulations exist to protect lives and property and must never be used to harass or exploit members of the public.<\/p>\n

The statement also reiterated the government’s zero-tolerance policy on corruption, warning that any officer found responsible for misconduct would face disciplinary and legal action.<\/p>\n

At the same time, authorities urged complainants to support their allegations with credible evidence to facilitate investigations.<\/p>\n

Security personnel were reminded to uphold professionalism by remaining sober, courteous, and accountable while performing their duties.<\/p>\n

The Office of the RDC further pledged to work closely with the Uganda Police Force and other security agencies to ensure that the agreed resolutions are implemented and that public confidence in traffic law enforcement is restored.<\/p>\n

For many families in Adjumani District, including both South Sudanese refugees and members of the host community, commercial transport remains a major source of income.<\/p>\n

The drivers expressed hope that the government will strengthen accountability within the traffic police while ensuring that all road users are treated equally, regardless of their nationality or refugee status.<\/p>\n

The joint appeal by refugee and host community drivers highlights the importance of cooperation, fairness, and mutual respect in promoting safe roads and sustaining the livelihoods of transport operators serving communities across Adjumani District.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Jurugo Emmanuel Ogasto South Sudanese refugee drivers and their counterparts from the Ugandan host community in Adjumani District have jointly accused traffic police officers of alleged extortion, unfair enforcement of traffic laws, and unprofessional conduct, calling on the government to intervene. The grievances were formally presented on Tuesday, July[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":46141,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[80,79,129],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","category-news","category-regional"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Drivers-Block-Road-in-Adjumani-Town-Photo-by-Martin.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46140"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46140\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46142,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46140\/revisions\/46142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}