Change Management in Informal Transport: Evaluating Drivers of Service Delivery in Kampala’s Boda Boda Industry
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/jbsm.3123Keywords:
Boda Boda Industry, Change Management, Digital Mobility, Informal Transport, Service Delivery.Abstract
Purpose: To examine how drivers of change management influence service delivery in Kampala’s Boda Boda (motorcycle taxi) sector, using the ADKAR and Kotter change models to assess where reforms succeed or stall.
Methodology: A cross-sectional mixed-methods design combined quantitative surveys (n = 475) with qualitative interviews (nine institutional stakeholders). Data was collected through structured questionnaires, interview guides, and documentary review. Design-Based Research principles guided iterative tool refinement. Quantitative analysis (SPSS v20) included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and bivariate regression; qualitative data underwent thematic analysis in ATLAS.ti.
Findings: A strong positive association was observed between change drivers and service delivery (r = 0.750, p < .001). Bivariate regression showed that change interventions explained 56.1% of the variance in service delivery (R² = 0.561). Affordability-constrained digital platform uptake, with only 36.5% of riders finding entry costs manageable. Awareness of electric mobility remained below 36%, and just 26.4% believed e-motorcycles are more cost-effective. SACCOs yielded mixed perceptions: 46.7% linked SACCOs to political empowerment yet doubts about financial benefits and governance reduced participation. Mapping to ADKAR and Kotter indicated strong initiation (awareness and early engagement) but weak consolidation and reinforcement due to limited empowerment mechanisms, insufficient incentives, and low systemic trust.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice, and Policy:
The study foregrounds affordability and trust as necessary preconditions for sustained behavioural change within these models. The study recommends that SACCOs should strengthen SACCO governance transparency to address benefit and accountability concerns. They should also coordinate reforms through an inter-agency mechanism to align KCCA, traffic police, and line ministries. Across all actions, they should prioritise grassroots inclusion, early and continuous engagement, and systematic reinforcement to convert initial gains into lasting service-delivery improvements.
Downloads
References
AFD (Agence Française de Développement). (2020). Paratransit and urban mobility in Uganda. Author.
Amin, M. E. (2005). Social science research: Conception, methodology and analysis. Makerere University Press.
Amone, C. (2020). Boda Boda industry as a youth employment strategy in post-conflict Uganda (Working paper). Makerere University.
Associated Press. (2024, August 20). In Uganda’s chaotic capital, Boda Boda motorcycle taxis are a source of life and death. AP News. https://apnews.com
CNBC Africa. (2017). Rwanda’s Yego Moto joins list of cashless transport players. CNBC Africa. https://www.cnbcafrica.com
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Sage.
FIA Foundation. (2022). The wheels of change: Safe and sustainable motorcycling in Africa. Author.
Goodfellow, T. (2016). Urban transport and political mobilization: The case of Boda Bodas in Kampala. African Affairs, 115(458), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1093/afraf/adw005
Goodfellow, T. (2017). ‘Double capture’ and de-democratisation in urban Uganda? Journal of Development Studies, 53(10), 1568–1583. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2016.1214722
Goodfellow, T., & Mukwaya, P. I. (2021). The political economy of public transport in Greater Kampala: Movers, spoilers and prospects for reform. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Uganda.
Hiatt, J. M. (2006). ADKAR: A model for change in business, government, and our community. Prosci.
Kampala Capital City Authority. (2020, July 25). Press statement on public transport reforms to streamline the Boda Boda industry. Author.
Kampala Capital City Authority, Ministry of Works and Transport, & Uganda Police Force. (2022). Boda Boda registration 2022 (Circular). Authors.
Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Harvard Business School Press.
Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3), 607–610. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316447003000308
Mallett, R., Asingura, L., Ndhogezi, G., Byarugaba, D., & Sseviiri, H. (2023). Motorcycle taxis, extended lockdown and inequality at work in Kampala, Uganda. Urban Forum, 34, 501–520. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-023-09522-4
Manwaring, P., & Wani, S. (2021, August). Informal transport reform in Kampala: Learning from cross-country experience [Policy brief]. International Growth Centre.
Müller, T., & Doevenspeck, M. (2023). The politics of informal transport: Boda Boda and resistance in Uganda. African Studies Review, 66(1), 89–112. https://doi.org/10.1017/asr.2022.81
Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority. (2015, June 1). Passengers' road transport regulations (Regulation No. 007/TRANS/RT/RURA/2015).
Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority. (2021, September 27). Regulation governing the operation of the Intelligent Connected Fare Meter in Rwanda (Regulation No. 15/R/CR-CSI/RURA/2021).
Schmidt, E. K., & Groeneveld, S. (2017). A change-management perspective on public sector reforms. Public Management Review, 19(3), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2016.1200662
Taber, K. S. (2018). The use of Cronbach’s alpha when developing and reporting research instruments in science education. Research in Science Education, 48(6), 1273–1296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-016-9602-2
World Bank, & Global Road Safety Facility. (2021). Motorcycle safety in Africa. World Bank.
World Health Organization. (2023). Global status report on road safety 2023. Author.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Emmanuel Lwanga Kayongo, Dr Benson B. Okech
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
