Best Time to Drive in Kampala
Driving in a city is a pleasing excursion but irritating if you choose routes with heavy traffic. To have a great experience, be sure to plan very well and decide on when to drive and which roads to use.
If you are in a city like Kampala, car congestion is a usual meal. It is the pivot of Uganda and welcomes millions of vehicles daily from various regions. Therefore, it is easy to understand why most roads in this tourist spot are ever busy.
To be honest, it is hard to tell when is the best time to drive in Kampala because its roads experience heavy traffic at different intervals. As a person who has been in this city for years, I can give a hint, and this is not a guarantee.
Most paths are usually free very early in the morning before 6:00 AM, afternoon, lunchtime, and late evening from 10:00 PM.
The good thing is, most roundabouts have traffic lights with officers who help to ensure a proper flow and disqualification of motorists who are negative to the road rules. Apart from that, below are the major events that can disrupt Kampala’s road traffic.
National events
When there are ongoing national events at iconic spots like Kololo playground, make sure to avoid roads in areas that surround this place. There are blocked by police especially when the president is expected to be in place. These include a certain section on Kampala – Jinja road, Kololo, Naguru, Nakawa and more.
Weather conditions
Some parts in Kampala turn into rivers when it rains. You find some roads when there are blocked by water, making it hard for motorists to crossover except those with cars that are highly lifted from the ground. This is common at clock towers, Lugogo bypass, Industrial areas, Bweyogerere, Banda, and more.
Construction works
Road construction works are unavoidable. It is the motorists and commuters who suffer. Officials sometimes block some road sections to enable clear progress of the works. Whenever this happens, car congestion is the result. If you get to know of an area with ongoing road works, it is better to avoid it and choose an alternative.
Riots & Political campaigns
Student riots and political campaigns are other events that can cause chaos in the city. Common striking universities here are Makerere and Kyambogo. Rallies of politicians from different parties like FDC, NUP, and DP invite thousands of people.
Some roads are usually blocked in case there is dispersion by police. Don’t risk your life when there are these dangerous events. Police officers in Uganda sometimes don’t mind when shooting.
President’s Convoy
The president of Uganda has two residential places. One is in Entebbe and the other in Nakasero. He stays in Nakasero, but regularly visit the one in Entebbe to do some official work like meetings with other government official, diplomats, and more. Whenever he is passing, motorists along Entebbe road are ordered to free the way for his convoy.
Car breakdown
Heavy trucks like trailers, Sino trucks sometimes breakdown in the middle of the roads thus limiting road access for other vehicles. This over appears on highways that connect to border countries. One of them is Kampala – Jinja road.
City Festivals
KCCA used to host an annual event that was popularly known as the Kampala city festival. Whenever it is taking place, most roads in the city are put out of use. It invites millions of people from the city’s suburbs and other parts of Uganda.
After the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus, the responsible authorities decided to suspend the event until further notice.
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