Uganda Bus Driver Suspended, Arrested After Passenger Filmed Him Chatting on Mobile Phone

A Ugandan bus driver has been suspended from work and arrested after a passenger filmed him chatting on his mobile phone while driving tens of passengers.

Police has identified the driver as Andrew Jemba, aged 43, working with Link Bus Services Company.

A video recorded by a passenger showed the driver of Link Bus registration number UBG 188P using his phone while driving along Kampala-Fort Portal Road.

Police would swing into action, intercept, arrest and detain Jemba at Kyegegwa Police Station on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 at around 11 am.

According to SP Michael Kananura, the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety spokesperson, Jemba has been charged under Regulation 3(a) & 4 of Traffic and Road Safety (Restriction of Use of Mobile Telephone) Regulations, 2004.

SP Kananura saluted the public for reporting such cases and put drivers on notice.

“The police thus commend the public for their vigilance on road safety and call upon everyone to continue reporting and sharing any information on traffic violations on roads on our toll-free 0800199099,” he said.

“We continue to sound a warning to all motorists who use mobile phones while driving as this has been seen as one of the causes of road crashes in the country.”

Meanwhile, Link Bus Services company says they have suspended Jemba, who was reportedly fresh from a training course on safe driving.

“We learnt of the viral video this morning… from social media and our human resource office immediately swung into action to investigate the matter. Following preliminary investigations Andrew [Jemba] has been suspended from duty with immediate effect,” said Tom Best Aliinde, the Link Bus Services public relations manager.

“We condemn in the strongest terms possible the individual action by the particular driver who had just in a space of less than two months gone through our annual refresher training.”

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