The Uganda Police Force, Ministry of Health and Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) have officially joined to launch Fika Salama extra against drunk drivers starting with the Kampala -Entebbe Expressway.
This follows continuous road carnage on different highways and an outcry from the public on the need to reinstate Operation Fika Salama as an intervention in a bid to contain fatalities on Ugandan roads.
SP Michael Kananura, the Traffic Police Spokesperson says that Fika Salama Extra operation was commenced this week and will run up to January 2024 targeting drivers over speeding or driving beyond 100kms per hour and those overtaking where it is not allowed.
Dr Hafsa Lukwata, the Assistant Commissioner of Mental Health, Alcohol and Substance abuse at the Health Ministry, says alcohol contains substances that affect the body once consumed and a single bottle of beer lasts a full hour in the blood circulation.
Allan Ssempebwa, the UNRA Media Relations Manager says that they started with Kampala -Entebbe Expressway and later will extend the operation to other roads using not only fixed cameras but also latest technology to capture the suspects and their vehicle number plates.
Fika Salama was in 2016 launched by Uganda National Roads Authority and enforced by Traffic Police and other sister agencies, Operation Fika Salama was a special intervention aimed at checking on errant drivers on major highways.
According to the preliminary research findings by Makerere University School of public health of the year 2020, about 9000 people perish in road accidents annually in Uganda, a number three times higher than that declared by police in the year 2019.
