Kampala — There is a reason business product advisor Fred Ssenoga Bagenda speaks passionately about the future of Uganda's transport sector. The numbers he sees make the transport sector a powerful economic vehicle that could well play a major role in Uganda's National 10-fold growth strategy.
Uganda's Tenfold Growth Strategy is an ambitious 15-year blueprint (through 2040) aimed at rapidly expanding the nation's GDP from approximately US $50 billion (2023) to US $500 billion.
The transport industry, especially boda boda, is estimated to be the second-largest employer in Uganda after agriculture, with 85% of riders and drivers under the age of 35. Enabling this sector to not look at transport only for survival but expand its revenue options, could be an economic game changer.
"Today we move with urgency to turn our collective numbers into real economic power, including the strength to negotiate better deals, unlock opportunity, and rapidly transform livelihoods at scale. By leveraging its numbers, the Alliance will unlock new opportunities for asset ownership, income growth, and long-term financial security for transport workers," Ssenoga states.
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These ideas turned into reality at Hotel Africana today, where an Alliance for Transporters Union (Registration number: P.28683/RCS) bringing together the Boda Boda Union, Taxi Union, Bus Union, and Truck Drivers Association of Uganda, was officially launched. The umbrella body will still be branded as 'Union'.
Ssenoga said it marked a major step toward formalizing and scaling one of Uganda's most critical economic sectors. He was flanked at the launch by the leaders of the key stakeholders - Boda-boda led by Frank Mawejje, Taxi led by Rashid Ssekindi, Bus led by Kakaire Umar, and Truck led by Asadu Musisi Sentongo.
"The Union ecosystem will not only accelerate socio-economic transformation for not less than 10 million Ugandans - including their families - but will also contribute greatly toward the achievement of the National 10-fold growth strategy and NDP IV priority areas."
Ssenoga particularly hailed the boda-boda union boss Frank Mawejje for setting the pace for unity that the other leaders in the bus, taxi and truck sectors have now embraced.
Unity in numbers
Uganda's transport sector--long fragmented, informal, and underserved--has lacked the structure, financing, and coordination needed to unlock its full economic potential. Millions of operators across boda bodas, taxis, buses, and trucks have operated without access to affordable financing, organized systems, or collective bargaining power.
The launch of the Alliance for Transporters Union builds on theproven success of the Boda Boda Union model, which has demonstrated that organizing transport workers into a structured, technology-enabled ecosystem can deliver real economic value at scale.
Today's launch event has brought together leaders from Union's transport ecosystem: Boda Boda National Chairperson Mr. Frank Mawejje, Rashid Ssekindi - Union Taxi Chairperson, Bus Union Chairperson Kakaire Umar, and Asadu Musisi Ssentongo - Truck Union Chairperson.... pic.twitter.com/EYLAypE3Wf
-- Union Uganda (@UnionAppUg) March 31, 2026
This progress has already been accelerated by strong, high-impact partnerships with leading institutions, including NSSF, MTN, Housing Finance Bank, Spiro, Next Media and others, enabling the Union to deliver financing, connectivity, mobility solutions, and nationwide visibility to its members.
"Building on this foundation, the alliance represents a horizontal expansion across the entire transport ecosystem--integrating boda bodas, taxis, buses, and truck operators onto one unified platform. This coordinated structure enables shared access to financing, technology, partnerships, and markets."
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At its core, the Alliance is designed as a commercial platform ("supermarket") for already existing products such as; Union ride hailing app, bike loans, Union water, smartphones, Union Data Bundle, and Union Oil, as well as future products such as; Union matatus (taxis), Union buses, Union trucks, tyres, spare parts, electric cars, backpacks, laptops, scholastic materials and many more.
This, the Union is confident, will position it as the largest organized economic vehicle in Uganda.
The Alliance, the first of its kind in the region, also opens the door for deeper collaboration with partners across the mobility, financial, manufacturers and other service providers offering access to one of the largest organized transport networks in the region.
