Mbale — Boda-bodas, as Uganda's ubiquitous motorcycle taxis are known, are on the rise. Our correspondent in the country's eastern district of Mbale reports.

Over 9,000 registered motorcycle taxis ply the roads of Mbale and its suburbs, according to records from the Mbale Motorcycle Riders Association. This is leading to rising road congestion, yes. But it also gives Ugandans an affordable, fast means to get around.

Mbale's boda-boda business also provides employment to about 10,000 young men. Some of the drivers own their motorcycles. Others merely hire them. Some start as early as 5 AM, to retire home shortly after sunset. Others operate deep into the night.

Those on the nightshift are targets for thieves who come pretending to be passengers, only to turn on the drivers, killing them and robbing their bikes.

Taking a ride on a boda-boda can be life-threatening for other reasons, too. Many times, drivers overload their bikes, with people and things. This puts the safety of all riders at risk.

According to records at Mbale Central police station, motorcycle taxi drivers are the leading cause of road accidents, causing fatalities or maiming people for life.

The name 'boda-boda' comes from the word 'border'. The practice originally centred on transporting people and their goods via bicycle across the Uganda-Kenya border crossing points at Malaba and Busia.