“Driving Is a Profession, Not Just a Job”: Katumba Rallies Drivers to Embrace TVET at 2025 Conference

Works and Transport Minister Gen Edward Katumba Wamala has called on professional drivers across Uganda to embrace Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a pathway to turning driving into a fully recognised profession. 

From 3–4 December 2025, drivers under their umbrella body, the Uganda Professional Drivers’ Network (UPDN), joined partners and key stakeholders at the 4th Annual Professional Drivers’ Conference in Kampala. The two-day forum, held at Imperial Royale Hotel, focused on practical skills in road safety, first aid, defensive driving, driver wellness and professional ethics.

The conference was crowned with the Road Transport Stakeholders’ Excellence Awards 2025, where outstanding drivers and institutions were recognised for exemplary performance in promoting safety and professionalism on Uganda’s roads. The awards ceremony was presided over by Gen Katumba.

Commending participants for dedicating two days to the discussions, the Minister applauded UPDN for its growing role in advancing road safety and helping to reduce road crashes.

"We had killed technical institutions, and now we have so many degree holders without practical skills. Today, people are returning to technical schools. We are ready to develop this profession through TVET programmes," Gen Katumba said.

He urged drivers to enrol in accredited TVET institutes to gain practical, certified skills that can enhance their employability and career growth. He further emphasised that collaboration among government agencies, the private sector and civil society organisations (CSOs) is essential to improving road safety campaigns and strengthening mental health support for drivers.

Gen Katumba also pledged to champion the implementation of the Kampala Declaration adopted by UPDN members at the conference, saying the Ministry of Works and Transport would study the commitments and follow up on the key issues raised.

UPDN Executive Director Ndugu Omongo explained that since the Annual Professional Drivers’ Conference was launched in 2022, it has become a national platform for addressing the challenges faced by professional drivers, sharing solutions and elevating standards in the transport sector.

"To address drivers’ issues in any organisation, you must meaningfully involve driver leaders in the decisions that affect them," Omongo noted, adding that UPDN will continue to use the conference to push for safer, better managed and more dignified driving careers.

UPDN Board Chairperson, Mr Kasule Apollo, said reducing the scourge of road crashes requires a coordinated and sustained effort among all actors in the transport chain, alongside continuous improvements in road infrastructure.

He added that the safety of school-going children must be prioritised, noting that gaps in the current transport arrangements for learners continue to expose them to unnecessary risk.

Minister Katumba Wamala awarding best drivers

Speaking on behalf of the TVET Council, Executive Director Mr Moses Kasakya welcomed the move to professionalise driving through formal skills development.

He stressed that driver professionalisation must be anchored in the certification of specialised driving competences and a shift from theory-heavy instruction to a competency-based, industry-driven training system.

"Once driving skills are fully professionalised, we will be able to strengthen standards, competence and ethics—just like in any other skilled trade," Mr Kasakya said.

Maj. Alfred Odama

Maj Alfred Odam, a fleet supervisor and President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Uganda Chapter, underscored the central role of driver wellness and a supportive work environment in road safety.

He highlighted fatigue management, proper nutrition, mental health support and better working conditions as critical factors that shape drivers’ judgement, risk awareness and compliance with traffic regulations.

Among the award winners was Sylvia Wakise, a female Sinotruk truck driver selected by her employer, National Medical Stores (NMS), who received the Best Driver Award in recognition of her professionalism and safety record.

Delivering a presentation titled “Lifestyle and HIV/AIDS”, Dr Maureen Kwikiriza reminded participants that truck drivers remain a priority group in Uganda’s HIV response. She linked their heightened vulnerability to long periods spent on the road, separation from families, exposure to high-risk sexual networks along major transport corridors and limited access to regular health services. Dr Kwikiriza called for stronger workplace HIV programmes at truck stops and company depots, including routine testing, counselling, condom and PrEP access, and continuous behaviour-change education tailored to drivers’ realities.

The 2025 conference ran under the theme: “Enhancing Driving Professionalism through Innovation and Networking in Road Transport.”

Partners and institutions that took part in the conference included Centenary Bank, CFAO by Toyota Uganda, MarkH Investments, Q-Sourcing, SWICO, National Medical Stores, Uganda Red Cross, Graben Logistics, Graben Logistics Academy, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), Uganda Revenue Authority, Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), Uganda AIDS Commission, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) and others.