PHOTOS: How Kyaliwajjala’s talking truck was finally towed after years of ‘African magic’

Wakiso, (UG):- After years of speculation and reports of witchcraft about a talking truck, thousands gathered last Saturday 22nd June 2024 to witness it being towed away by engineers from the Uganda National Road Authority (UNRA).

The truck which was lying grounded along the Kireka-Namugongo Road in Kyaliwajjala was among the four trucks, allegedly owned by the former Boat owner Templer Bisase, and had spent years and years parked a little after what used to be Buganda Prince Rabbi Mulondo’s home.

According to a report by Ugandan news outlet; TheInvestigator, “In November 2018 to be exact, Ugandans and the rest of the world, were treated to the horrific news about a boat-cruise-gone-wrong, which ended with up to thirty-two revellers aboard it dead”.

“Those who survived that nasty boat capsize included Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi’s fond younger sibling, Prince David Kintu Wasajja, Mengo’s former Ettofaali fundraiser, Freeman Kiyimba and crooner, Iryn Namubiru. Those mentioned above were merely part of a big group of partiers estimated to be in dozens who had hired the rickety MV Templar boat to enjoy a cruise over Lake Victoria”, it added.

But as fate would have it, what was supposed to be a memorable ride ended up instead into a tragedy occasioned by the boat’s capsize which led, in turn, to the loss of lives and loss of breadwinners for a number of families. Reports which emerged later were disturbing and bizarre. It was speculated that it was voodoo which caused that nasty accident.

Apart from causing the boat to capsize, it’s speculated that because of that evil act of voodoo, trucks formerly owned by the deceased acted funny. That those those four trucks which had been freshly imported, had themselves, mysteriously grounded. And that no one can ever dare to get them from where they grounded themselves from.

People living near Prince Mulondo’s former home confirmed how that particular truck has been lying grounded there ever since Templar was buried. They reported experiencing mysterious things talking at night right from inside the same truck. From how this truck appears from the outside, it gets clearer that it has been parked there for some considerable time now.

Yet, the police have since curiously left the truck alone much as it is evidently posing a potential danger to those using the Kireka-Kyaliwajjala tarmac road! This has continued to be the case, even as President Museveni himself had ordered grounded trucks to be towed away from the main roads. The order was issued following the death of businessman, Aponye, following a crash involving his Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) and a grounded truck on the road in Itojo.

This bizarre tale has it that it all started when Templar, the former owner of the ill-fated boat, purportedly grabbed a sizeable piece of land belonging to a kibanja owner in Kira. After doing that, Templar sold that land at a very handsome price and then allegedly used some of the proceeds to import a total of four trucks. Those are the trucks, which have since Templar’s demise, remained grounded to – date.

In a turn of events, the low-bed haulier that has kept tongues wagging about its potential to talk and slap whoever wandered near it with ‘bad’ intentions has been disengaged and towed away.

UNRA on Friday, June 21st June, announced they had decoded the mechanical and technical wherewithal to have an end to the tales.

“The Mercedes Benz carrier truck was dislodged and towed to a nearby parking yard,” UNRA spokesperson Allan Ssempebwa posted on X as he kept the public updated on events around the truck whose mystery has captivated the nation for more than five years.

A team of mechanics from UNRA and hired heads backed by police arrived at Kwaliwajjala by 8.30 am, ready to start their scheduled 9 am operation.

Human bodies crammed the vicinity with boda-boda operators parking their motorcycles to animate the black magic tales as they waited to see the team lead Mr Christopher Buni, Ssempebwa and the rest scamper for dear lives.

But science won the day as Buni, a computer scientist, explained the technicalities involved in disengaging the booster (air brake system) to free the wheels and get the truck ready for routine towing.

“We tested each wheel at a time, and tested the freewheel movement on each of the tracks, running each of the tyres. And we did that for all the four sets of wheels that the tractor head has,” Buni explained at the scene.

He said attention was then focused on freeing the main pin (similar to a ‘Jesus pin’ in helicopters) which secures the trailer.

“In this case, it’s what holds the back rear trailer. We were successful in dislodging that pin,” he said. This allowed the truck’s engine or head to roll freely and be ready for towing.

A new revelation by the NilePost indicated that “The truck belongs to Mr Robert Tumusiime, a former Marketing Manager of Tata Uganda”.

The publication reported that Mr Tumusiime abandoned the haulier near Shell Kyaliwajjala five years ago after his businesses under the Rosget Agencies and Logistics went south following a botched vehicle delivery deal with the government.