Checking drunken drivers

Police road blocks in evenings which are checking drunken drivers on high ways are a positive development. It is sad that that at least on one such operation, a man badly drunk was discovered at Kajjansi as he drove towards his home. It was most unfortunate that this guy had children in the back seat but he decided to put all in danger. If drunken driving can be checked, chances of having many safe on roads will be enhanced.
William Kituuka

Police Hold 50 Over Drunk-Driving - Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201005100162.html
Steven Candia
9 May 2010
Kampala — Traffic police arrested 50 motorists in connection with drunk-driving over the weekend in Kampala city.The motorists were arrested in two separate swoops, on the nights of Friday and Saturday.
The suspects were treated to a rude shock when they were ambushed by traffic policemen armed with breathalysers who had staged snap check points in some city suburbs close to midnight.
Kampala traffic boss Lawrence Niwabwine yesterday said the operation was aimed at reducing road accidents, often linked to negligence.
"The operations are paying off in terms of reduced accidents on city roads. These operations will continue," Niwabwine said.
He explained that 28 of the suspects were arrested on Friday, and 22 on Saturday. They are detained at various city Police divisions.
The operation on Friday was carried out in the suburbs of Katwe, Kabalagala and Kireka, while the Saturday night swoop was in Wandegeya, Kawempe and on Jinja and Kira roads.
However, whereas other snap check points yielded positive results, the one in Kawempe did not as motorists managed to dodge it, reportedly after tip offs from boda-boda cyclists.
Niwabwine criticised boda-boda riders for tipping off the motorists.
"The boda-boda network is working against me. They tipped them (motorists) off and so they avoided the check-point," he said.
The suspects arrested in the weekend operation will be charged in court, Nuwabine added.


Drunk driving death toll up - http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/716758
Sunday, 18th April, 2010
By Jackie Nambogga
THE death toll of the accident in which a drunken bus driver rammed into a taxi with school children has risen to three.
Joyce Kivunike, a Primary Three pupil at Victoria Nile School, passed away at Mulago Hospital, where she and eight others were admitted.
Jackie Nabuduwa, 10, a Primary Five pupil from the same school and Zahara Namwase of Little Angels Nursery died on the spot.
The victims were among the children who were last week involved in the accident on the Iganga-Jinja Highway as they travelled to school.
Their taxi, which was parked by the roadside, was hit by the bus carrying students of Bubulo Girls’ Secondary School in Manafwa district.
Kivunike had been on oxygen at the intensive care unit since she was transferred from Jinja Hospital.
She had a fracture on the skull and suffered internal bleeding.
Kivunike was a daughter of the Rev. James Kivunike, the Busoga diocesan mission coordinator.
In the same ward is Emron Kabali, a Primary Two pupil. He is paralysed on one side and remains unconscious.
Zaidi Waholwa, 54, the bus driver was remanded to Jinja Prison.