Gen. Saleh Preaches Prosperity to Boda Boda Union Leaders

The Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), Gen Salim Saleh, has called for unity among the leadership of boda boda riders in various parts of the country.

Gen Saleh says unity among the leaders will help them in ensuring that the newly established umbrella body that brings all boda boda leaders and riders across the country together takes off successfully.

He made the remarks during the first-ever National Boda Boda Union Leadership retreat held at Sacred Hearts Girls Secondary School in Gulu City that commenced in Gulu City on Wednesday and ended on Thursday. More than 1,200 boda boda leaders from 135 districts across the country converged for the retreat held under the theme “Strengthening leadership and Unlocking new possibilities through collaboration, innovation and shared purposes”

Gen Saleh however noted during the retreat that the boda boda leaders have missed many opportunities in the industry citing lack of clarity on situations, mission, institution, administration and command control. He said himself including other people have in the past tried to intervene in supporting the boda boda industry but lost their money due to disunity.

“…Today, I’m also calling for operation harmony within the industry. Because many people have tried, even I have tried to be a boda financier. But we always lose the money,” said Gen Saleh.

In January this year, boda boda leaders launched the United Boda Boda Riders Cooperative Union in a bid to unite and financially empower boda boda riders and their leaders across the country.

While Gen Saleh lauded the initiative, he cautioned the boda boda national union leaders to trade carefully with the new union highlighting key steps in ensuring the cooperative survives from what he describes as diseases that kill cooperatives. For instance, he called on the boda boda leaders to guard against critical issues like the principal agent problem, transaction costs, absent property rights, and free riders’ problems among others.

He also asked the new leadership of the Boda Boda union not to forget veteran leaders who have been struggling in the boda boda industry.

“In this operation, harmony, good chairman, I’m begging you that don’t forget the veterans. The veterans who have been in this industry have struggled because they have been there. I have seen them struggle, but they look as sharp…” said Gen Saleh.

He lauded the leadership of the bod boda union for taking a step to uniting all Boda boda riders arguing that the bod boda sector plays a great part in the country’s industrialization journey.

The two-day retreat featured intensive training, dialogue sessions, and strategic planning meetings aimed at equipping leaders with the tools necessary to advance the formalisation agenda in the Boda Boda Industry. Key focus areas during the retreat included the formation of registered local unions and SACCOs, cultivating a savings culture, and adopting digital financial platforms designed to improve access to insurance and credit for boda-boda riders.

Frank Mawejje, the Chairman of the United Boda-Boda Riders Cooperative Union underscored the initiative’s significance.

“The National Boda-Boda Leadership Retreat marks the beginning of a transformative chapter, one where riders are no longer viewed as informal actors but as respected professionals, supported and empowered to meaningfully contribute to national development and the country’s GDP.” Said Mawejje.

He added that the introduction of the Union App will be central to formalizing the sector that employs currently some 1.2 million Ugandans.

“Through this digital platform, each rider will be able to subscribe for just UGX 6,000 per week, with UGX 1,000 automatically allocated to their NSSF contributions. This is a vital step in securing their financial future and integrating them into the broader social protection system,” Mawejje explained.

Rebecca Kabogo Mugisha, the Senior Manager Partnership and Business Development at NSSF noted that at least 2,000 boda boda riders across the country have been on boarded to the NSSF SmartLife Flexi, a voluntary saving initiative. Kabogo noted that they expect through the union structure to penetrate the informal sector and get at least 1.2 million riders into the NSSF SmartLife Flexi.

“We are looking forward to the day when we see 1.2 million boda riders on NSSF, which will be a success story for all the other segments in the informal sector, the markets, the farmers, the traders, and we are glad to have started with you,” she said.

Baker Kasawuli, the General Manager of the United Boda-Boda Riders Cooperative Union, described the retreat as a crucial first step in building a structured and empowered ecosystem for boda-boda riders.

“For over two decades, boda-bodas have been central to Uganda’s transport and logistics systems, especially in last-mile connectivity. Yet the absence of unified leadership and formal structures has left riders vulnerable to exploitation, policy exclusion, and financial insecurity,” said Kasawuli.

He emphasised that the retreat had set the tone for a model shift within the industry.

“With support from partners like the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and the Smart Life Initiative, we are laying a foundation where riders can go beyond surviving on daily earnings to thriving—with access to financial services, safety nets against counterfeit products, business opportunities, and a strong collective voice.” He said.

The Boda Boda Industry is currently the second biggest employer in the country after agriculture with some nearly 1.2 million people estimated to be employed in the industry in about 150,000 stages