As the last hours of 2025 slipped away, Entebbe Road was illuminated by red taillights of motor vehicles and hooting as thousands of motorists were trapped in a gridlock.
From Freedom City to Sip Lounge, a stretch that normally takes less than two minutes on a clear road, vehicles crawled for over ten minutes, inching forward a few metres before stalling again.
Engines idled endlessly, tempers rose, and watches were repeatedly checked as drivers realised they may cross into the New Year behind a steering wheel.
By about 8:00pm, the road thickened into a solid wall of metal. Taxis were packed beyond capacity, private cars too, had people heading to crossover prayers, while airport-bound passengers clutched onto their documents anxiously.
Delivery vans, eager to close the year’s final runs, added to the choke point. Every lane, including shoulders meant for emergencies, were swallowed by vehicles searching for any advantage.
Bodabodas seized the narrow gaps, weaving aggressively between stationary cars.
In the confusion, crashes naturally unfolded, causing some of the vehicle’s side mirrors to snap off. Riders lost balance as sudden braking caught them off guard. Near Zzana, at least two motorcycles lay on their sides, victims of hurried overtakes and the pressure to move faster than the road allows.
The air grew heavy with exhaust fumes and frustration. Some passengers abandoned taxis altogether, choosing to walk short distances in formal wear and party shoes, dragging bags through dust and darkness. Others leant out of windows, negotiating urgently with boda riders for last-minute lifts as time slips away.
Bodabodas seized the narrow gaps, weaving aggressively between stationary cars. (Credit: Ibrahim Ruhweza)
Recipe for crime
Under the cover of congestion and darkness, thieves, like leopards searching for prey, prowled through the stationary traffic and stranded pedestrians. Car doors left unlocked for air became easy targets, and as a result, mobile phones and other light valuables vanished through open windows.
Those walking along the roadside gripped their belongings tightly after alerts from fellow travellers to stay alert and watch their pockets.
Police presence was thin, and traffic enforcement struggled to impose order. Traffic lights were ignored, junctions remained clogged, and drivers invented their own rules in a tense contest for inches of space.
As the minutes crawl forward, desperation replaces patience.
When the year finally turned, many people remained trapped in the same stretch of Entebbe Road they occupied for hours with car engines humming, horns blaring and nerves stretched thin.
For them, the New Year arrived not with celebration, but with the stark reality of a city overwhelmed, where a short stretch of road stole precious time and where caution became the only defence against crashes and theft.