About 500 Ugandans are buried in public cemeteries per year due to people stealing items from road crash victims and subjecting culprits to mob action.
Superintendent of Police, Michael Kananura, the traffic police spokesperson, said many people have turned stealing from victims of road crashes into a business, often assaulting those they accuse of causing the accidents.
SP Kananura highlighted that even those who cause accidents sometimes beat their victims instead of rushing them to nearby health facilities for treatment. He emphasized that stealing from someone injured or killed in a road crash is a serious crime and urged people to assist victims instead.
“We encourage people to always help these victims,” he said. “Do not steal from the victims. Discourage everyone from doing so. Discourage mob justice. If you have caused a crash, it is your duty to control traffic. Ask other drivers or nearby locals to help you send signals to other road users that there is a road crash.”
The theft of property such as wallets, money, and bags has been cited as one of the major reasons why more than 500 bodies get buried in public cemeteries every year because they cannot be identified. Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Moses Byaruhanga, the police director of health services, noted that people are often taken to the mortuary without any documents.
Byaruhanga explained that if someone leaves Mbale heading to Kabaale district and gets involved in a road crash along Mbarara road, the chances of their body being unclaimed are high if their belongings are stolen.
Rescuers often target wallets, bags, and money for cash, but these items also contain identification documents such as National IDs, employment IDs, or bank cards, which could be used to identify the victims. Unfortunately, those who steal these items often throw the IDs away, making identification impossible.
Meanwhile, SP Kananura has warned other drivers against getting distracted by road crash scenes, which can cause more crashes or unnecessary congestion. “When passing a road crash scene, do not get distracted,” he cautioned. “Concentrate on the road and obey the commands of the police officers who are at the scene. If you are involved in a road crash, ensure to report yourself within 24 hours.”
Traffic police revealed that 64 people died in last week’s road crashes while 271 sustained injuries. Among the deceased, 24 were bodaboda riders, 22 were pedestrians, and 11 were passengers on bodabodas.
“The major causes of these crashes were careless overtaking, which contributed to 22%; speeding contributed to 18% of the crashes. We appeal to motorists to always obey the traffic regulations for their own safety and the safety of other road users,” SP Kananura said.
