Kawunyemu: Police re-introduces breathlysers to trap drunk drivers

KAMPALA-UGANDA/NEWSDAY: The ministries of health and Works announced Friday they had reintroduced the use of breathlysers to curb drink driving.

A statement issued by the director general of health services G. Henry Mwebesa said the reintroduction takes immediate effect.

The use of breathlysers had been halted in 2020 at the leak of COVID-19 for fear of it’s spread.

Uganda is ranked number one consumers of alcohol in Africa.

Traffic activists have been asking the Uganda Police to reintroduce enforcement measures that curb drunk-driving.

They have often argued the withdrawal of ‘Kawunyemu’ as a measure to curb transmission of COVID-19 was a setback.

In Mwebesa’s statement, he said accidents had dramatically increased by 40 percent.

Last year, Tororo Woman Member of Parliament Sarah Opendi introduced an alcohol control bill in parliament with strict proposals on alcohol use and manufacturing regulations which she said will not only reduce the disease burden but solve other social problems including domestic violence and poverty among others .

However, this bill has attracted criticism from various sections of the public including manufacturers who say it is diversionary and regressive with many arguing that the country’s revenues will be affected and might cause loss of jobs once passed.

Richard Baguma the Secretary General of the United Nations Association of Uganda (UNAU) there is no way alcoholism and its effects will be dealt with without regulation.

Punishment

If you are caught driving under the influence of alcohol in Uganda, you may be subject to a number of penalties. These can include a fine of Shs6m, imprisonment, or both. If you are found to be driving with a blood alcohol content above the legal limit, you may also have your driver’s license suspended or revoked.