Isaac Mukwaya

Subaru driver who attempted to knock traffic officer fined Shs 600,000

by · The Observer

Buganda Road Chief Magistrate’s court has convicted and sentenced Isaac Mukwaya, a driver who attempted to hit a traffic officer at Jinja Road roundabout last year.

Mukwaya was convicted on Wednesday and ordered to pay a fine of Shs 600,000 or, if unable to pay, face a six-month prison term. The charges included careless driving and failure to stop when signalled by traffic officer Josam Katongole, who was on duty at the time of the incident.

The conviction came after Mukwaya entered a plea bargain with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, accepting liability for a lighter sentence. Initially, he had denied the charges but later explained that he is a family man and expressed a commitment to reform, noting his status as a young man with responsibilities.

The court learned that on June 12, 2023, around 3 pm, Mukwaya, driving a black Subaru Forester, behaved recklessly at the Lyca Mobile Company parking yard in Kampala District. Police reported that he ignored traffic lights, prompting officer Katongole to pluck off his vehicle’s front number plate.

Mukwaya then drove to the Central Police Station (CPS) in Kampala, where he informed officers that he had a sick child in the vehicle and was allowed to first take the child to the hospital. He returned to CPS an hour later and was arrested after a video of the incident circulated widely on social media.

This case highlights a troubling pattern of road accidents involving police officers. In 2022, more than ten officers were killed in road crashes, at least three of whom were deliberately struck, including one fatal incident involving a vehicle from the ministry of Internal Affairs.

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