Union, Spiro launch campaign to tackle air pollution in Kampala

2026-03-03 - 10:19

Union, in partnership with Spiro, has unveiled an ambitious nationwide campaign aimed at accelerating the transition from petrol-powered motorcycles to electric boda bodas. Under the initiative dubbed Zuukuka, Make the Smart Move, the two firms have committed to deploy more than 50,000 electric motorcycles across the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area by June 2026. The rollout will be supported by over 500 battery-swapping stations, alongside an expanded service and spare parts network designed to ease adoption among riders. The announcement comes against the backdrop of mounting concern that air pollution and rising emissions are fast escalating into a public health emergency. Kampala is home to more than 200,000 boda bodas operating daily, with motorcycles ranking among the leading contributors to urban air pollution. Each petrol-powered bike emits an estimated 5.7 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide per day, in addition to fine particulate matter, PM2.5, whose levels in the city exceed limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Union managing director Fred Ssenoga cited World Health Organization data showing that between 2018 and 2022, more than 7,000 deaths were linked to illnesses associated with polluted air. “People don’t know these figures, but all these lives were lost because of the air we breathe,” he said. “We cannot see this and decide to keep quiet,” Ssenoga added that over Shs 140 billion was reportedly spent on treating coughs and respiratory complications partially attributed to poor air quality. “Through this campaign, we want to get rid of such.” The minister of state for Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs, Kyofa Kabuye, who presided as the guest of honour, described the initiative as long overdue. “The name Zuukuka is a wakeup call to all of us,” he said. “For years, we have not fully realized the damage caused by pollution from petrol-powered motorcycles associated with doing business in our city.” He said the campaign aligns with government’s broader e-mobility strategy, positioning clean transport as central to Kampala’s urban transformation. “Here in Kampala, we want to move even faster. We want a Smart City not just with fibre optics and CCTV cameras, but with clean air, healthy citizens and sustainable transport.” The minister urged boda boda riders to embrace the shift rather than resist it, arguing that the long-term economic and health benefits outweigh short-term uncertainties. Bruce Mucunguzi, deputy country director at Spiro, said the scale of investment reflects the gravity of the pollution challenge, and the commercial opportunity embedded in cleaner mobility. “They will have an experience better than what they have had with petrol motorcycles. We are also putting in place service centres where parts will be available at affordable pricing and easily accessible,” he noted. “Every additional electric motorcycle on the road is one step toward achieving the quality of air we need to leave to our children and grandchildren.” If fully implemented, the Zuukuka campaign could mark one of the largest electric mobility transitions in Uganda’s transport sector, and a critical test of whether policy ambition, private capital and public health priorities can align to clear the air over Kampala.