The Ministry of Works and Transport has launched a three day campaign aimed at raising safety and awareness on roads countrywide.

The campaign dubbed “Together for Boda-Boda Safety”comes as the country registers an increase in the number of Boda boda accidents. Boda crashes are predominant among youth aged between 18 and 38 which is the productive age.

The road safety awareness campaigns and other activities will continue till February 2023 to properly enforce the campaign for better coverage and impact.

According to the latest data from the Traffic and Safety Directorate, four people die from boda boda accidents alone daily. This means 28 people succumb to accidents weekly and 840 per month.

State Minister for Works and Transport, Francis Musa Ecweru officiated at the event that is targeting the sensitisation of Boda-Bodas, running until December 9, 2022. The campaign started with a procession from the Ministry’s headquarters to the Uganda National Roads Authority in Kyambogo. 

Traffic police spokesperson Faridah Nampiima, stated that in the month of October, 257 people died in accidents and these were mostly due to boda boda.

She says between October 1 to 29, 1,378 accidents were registered on different roads across the country and of these, 227 accidents were fatal, 705 were serious, and 446 were minor.

In these accidents, 1,232 victims were involved and of these, 257 people died and 975 sustained injuries,” ASP Nampiima said.

Recently, the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, directed the deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Geoffrey Tumusiime Katsigazi, to devise means of regulating the boda boda industry.

Consequently, the traffic police launched an operation demanding that all riders present driving permits, use reflector jackets and drive machines in proper mechanical conditions among others.

In late November, the Minister for Kampala, KCCA, police and Ministry of works launched a training exercise on traffic guidelines and proper riding targeting 50.000 boda boda riders in Kampala. The exercise has since registered very low turn up.