The United Boda Boda Riders Cooperative Union and Uganda Taxi Operators Federation (UTOF) have joined forces to improve passenger safety, streamline services, and foster cooperation across Uganda’s transport sector.
In a landmark effort to reform Uganda’s public transport sector, the United Boda Boda Riders Cooperative Union has partnered with the Uganda Taxi Operators Federation (UTOF) to launch a joint initiative aimed at enhancing passenger safety and improving transport services nationwide.
The launch event, held at Hotel Africana in Kampala, brought together boda boda riders and taxi operators from across the country. The partnership seeks to foster collaboration between the two transport groups, promote lawful conduct among drivers, and introduce a unified system that improves service delivery and accountability.
Frank Mawejje, Chairperson of the United Boda Boda Riders Cooperative Union, emphasized the importance of the collaboration:
“The two operations are coming together for development. As leaders, we resolved that only by uniting can we gain bargaining power, lobby for our people, and promote cooperation,” he said.
‘’Our union has several products, including Union mineral water and smartphones, and we want to help our taxi colleagues access similar partnerships, for example with NSSF and Housing Finance, to benefit our members,” Mawejje added.
“This partnership was born out of mutual understanding and support. We developed a framework to promote order and safety on our roads. Initially, it wasn’t easy to accept, but over time we realized cooperation is necessary for the betterment of both groups,” he explained.
The Union’s Business Product Advisor, Fred Ssenoga, unveiled the new Union App, a digital platform designed to integrate boda boda and taxi services under one system.
“We’ve introduced the Union App called ‘Union Let’s Go,’ currently deployed on over 7,000 bikes, with a goal of 30,000 in the next three months,” Ssenoga said.
“This partnership will contribute to Uganda’s national economic growth strategy, which aims to accelerate industrialization, create jobs, increase exports, and move Uganda into an upper-middle-income economy.”
The partnership will be further showcased at the upcoming Union Festival and Expo on September 14, 2025, at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, where President Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni is expected to officiate as chief guest.