Credit: Newton Allan/X
A medical doctor, Newton Allan, has accused traffic police officers of misconduct following an incident at the Mulago–Kalerwe traffic lights in Kampala, where he claims he was wrongly fined despite complying with traffic signals.
In a detailed statement shared publicly on social media platform X, Dr Allan said he was stopped by a traffic officer shortly after crossing the junction and accused of jumping a red light, an allegation he strongly disputes.
“Traffic police is full of thieves masquerading in uniforms,” he wrote, expressing frustration over what he believes is a pattern of unfair enforcement on motorists.
He further described how the incident unfolded, saying the officer allegedly pursued him before forcing him to stop and issuing an immediate accusation.
“Someone intentionally creates a false case against you even when you clearly observed the traffic lights,” he stated, insisting he had followed the signals correctly.
Dr Allan added that despite contesting the allegation at the scene, the officer proceeded to issue a UGX 200,000 fine using the electronic ticketing system.
“This has just happened to me at the Mulago–Kalerwe traffic lights. A traffic officer rode after me, stopped me, and accused me of not obeying the lights, yet I clearly did,” he said.
He also questioned what he views as an imbalance of power during such encounters, arguing that motorists often have limited room to defend themselves once an officer has made a determination.
“I refused to accept a crime I didn’t commit, but because he holds the power in his hands (the machine) he still issued me a UGX 200,000 ticket,” he added.
The doctor went further, criticising what he described as broader accountability issues within the traffic enforcement system.
“No wonder some of them can’t progress or build anything meaningful for themselves. Rubbish,” he said.
The Mulago–Kalerwe corridor remains one of Kampala’s busiest junctions, often patrolled by traffic officers due to heavy congestion and frequent violations.
Authorities have previously defended electronic enforcement systems, saying they are aimed at improving discipline on the roads and reducing corruption linked to manual ticketing.