Uganda’s Ministry of Works and Transport, together with the Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS), Uganda Police Force, and other road safety stakeholders, has expressed growing concern over the rising number of children losing their lives in road traffic crashes as the country winds up the “Safe Kids, Safe Future” road safety campaign.
Speaking at the closing event, Road Safety Officer Kamoga Michael said the nationwide initiative had been implemented in selected schools under the broader goal of promoting safer roads for children.
He noted that although the programme did not reach as many schools as initially planned due to logistical challenges, future phases would be expanded to cover more learners across the country.
Kamoga emphasized the importance of empowering pupils with road safety knowledge, urging them to become ambassadors of change within their homes and communities.
“You should listen to the messages you have received and pass them on. If your parents are speeding, speak up and tell them to slow down,” he said, calling on children to actively participate in promoting safer road behavior.
He also underscored the need for strict observance of road safety measures, highlighting plans to enforce a 30 km/h speed limit in high-risk areas such as school zones, markets, and near hospitals once the policy framework is fully operational. According to Kamoga, the Ministry is working closely with traffic police to develop enforcement mechanisms that will ensure compliance.
He further outlined ongoing efforts to strengthen road safety infrastructure around schools, including the formulation of guidelines for safe school zones and proposals to establish a laboratory to test helmet quality standards in Uganda.
Kamoga also advised school administrators and communities to follow proper channels when requesting road safety infrastructure such as speed humps and pedestrian crossings, stressing that such requests must be directed to the relevant authorities depending on road jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, ITMS spokesperson Steven Turyarugayo revealed troubling findings from a recent assessment under the campaign, indicating that out of every 15 people who die in road traffic accidents, two are children. He said the campaign reached nearly 10,000 pupils in 12 schools across the country, with more than 4,000 road safety materials distributed.
He noted that despite the outreach, significant gaps remain, including limited pedestrian infrastructure near schools, inadequate road signage, and insufficient continuous road safety education for learners.
Turyarugayo warned that many school-going children still lack basic road safety awareness and called for intensified sensitization efforts. He also urged parents to exercise greater responsibility when transporting children, discouraging risky practices such as overloading motorcycles and vehicles.
He stressed that road safety requires collective responsibility, calling for sustained collaboration among stakeholders to improve the safety of school zones nationwide.
Traffic Police spokesperson Michael Kananura attributed nearly 95 percent of road crashes to human behavior, describing them as largely preventable incidents driven by negligence and poor discipline.
He cited overloading, reckless driving, unqualified drivers, and disregard for school zone regulations as major contributors to child-related road accidents. Kananura warned that such behavior continues to endanger young lives despite ongoing enforcement operations.
He called for stronger enforcement measures as schools reopen, coupled with intensified public awareness campaigns and faster rollout of safe school zones across the country.
“A safe child today is a safer future tomorrow. We must all work together to ensure children travel safely to and from school,” he said.
The campaign partners—including the Ministry of Works and Transport, ITMS, Uganda Police Force, and Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA)—pledged continued collaboration to reduce road traffic accidents and enhance safety for school children and all road users across Uganda.
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