01/07/2025
At the launch, the Minister of Trade, Industries & Cooperatives, Hon. Francis Mwebesa, emphasized the importance of seamless cross-border travel & trade in today’s interconnected economies. He praised the new USSD application as a major step in enhancing efficiency & reducing fraud in verifying COMESA Yellow Card insurance.
Uganda Re CEO, Ronald Musoke, hailed the launch as a milestone in improving the security and reliability of motor vehicle insurance within COMESA. The app (dial *284*8070 #) allows real-time verification from any phone and helps combat fake COMESA Yellow Card Insurance at border points. He noted that enforcement officers have been trained to use the system effectively.
COMESA Secretariat CEO, Calven Mutyavaviri, explained that the digital platform replaces the outdated paper system, making verification faster, safer and more accessible. The app is free to use, requires no data or fees and empowers all users to verify COMESA Yellow Card Insurance instantly.
URA’s Assistant Commissioner of Trade, Brenda Wanene, commended the joint efforts of COMESA Secretariat, Uganda Re and stakeholders. She emphasized the need for more awareness among truck drivers and frequent users of the COMESA Yellow Card Third Party Insurance.
Assistant Director of Traffic, Norman Musinga, welcomed the app as a tool that simplifies enforcement and enhances road safety by ensuring all foreign vehicles on Ugandan roads have valid insurance. He recommended regular training of police officers & stakeholder’s & continuous advancement in technology in order to stay ahead of cyber criminals who may try to duplicate/ tamper with the system.
Insurance Regulatory Authority-Uganda representative, Sande Protazio, applauded truck driver associations for spreading awareness. He stressed the app’s role in distinguishing valid insurance from expired or fake ones during claims processing moving forward.
Uganda Insurers Association-CEO, Jonan Kisakye, acknowledged stakeholder support and underlined fraud as a key challenge in motor insurance. He urged URA to go beyond tax collection and help promote the COMESA Yellow Card as a revenue opportunity. He reaffirmed UIA’s commitment to supporting the initiative alongside Motor Third Party insurance.
Representative from the Ministry of Works & Transport, Patience Niwenyine Guma reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to the initiative and expressed readiness to collaborate with the Council of Bureaux, the regulator and enforcement agencies to ensure nationwide adoption and effective implementation of this innovation.
Busuulwa William, Chairman of the Transporters Association, said the association operates 5,000 trucks on the Northern Corridor route and 6,000 on the Central Corridor route. He noted that 2,000 trucks cross Malaba and 1,500 cross Busia daily, most using COMESA Yellow Card Insurance. He raised concern over the use of fake insurance, blaming it on a lack of support from authorities but also expressed hope that the new initiative will cut enforcement delays and save drivers money.
