The Transport Licensing Board-TLB has rejected 16 of the 24 drivers hired by KK Travelers Company over lack of the required qualifications. They were rejected following a joint vetting exercise conducted by Uganda Police Force and the Transport Licensing Board. It came after a bus belonging to KK Travelers that plies the Kampala-West Nile route was involved in an accident that claimed the lives of 8 people and injured 42 others last month. As a result, TLB withdrew the operational licence of the company, and ordered it to submit its drivers for vetting. A report issued by the TLB shows that only 8 out of the 24 drivers submitted for vetting passed the interiview.

The November 30th report seen by URN, shows that despite the fact that some of the 16 drivers have the required licence driving permit, they lack the necessary experience to drive buses, while others don’t have the required permits. The board advises the company to recruit more competent drivers to manage its fleet to reduce on the endless road carnage. Etoli Mobutu, the general manager KK Travelers says that they have received the report and respect the findings from the vetting exercise. He says that they have only resumed night operations with the 8 drivers who passed the vetting exercise. He says that they have also embarked on the recruitment of additional drivers, who will be subjected to vetting exercise before they start work because they have learnt from their previous experience.

Travelers plying the West Nile route have welcomed the decision by TLB rejecting the unqualified and inexperienced drivers. Kamure Titia, a traveler on the route says that some of the drivers hired by the company have been reckless, adding that their expulsion by TLB will protect lives. Sunday Aniku, another traveler says that much as the rejection of the drivers has affected the number of buses plying the route, it is better to have fewer buses handled by competent people instead of losing lives at the hands of incompetent drivers.