Uganda’s road safety drive received a significant boost on Tuesday as Prudential Uganda officially concluded Phase III of its SAFE STEPS campaign—an ambitious three-year initiative that has equipped 18,600 boda-boda riders with vital first aid and road safety skills.
Launched in 2022, the campaign aligns with the Ministry of Works and Transport’s multi-sectoral National Road Safety Action Plan, which targets a 50% reduction in road deaths and injuries by 2030, as well as the UN Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021–2030). Implemented by the Uganda Red Cross Society, the program spanned Central, Western, West Nile, and Eastern Uganda—focusing on Kampala’s five divisions, Mukono, Entebbe, Masaka, Mbarara, Arua, and Mbale.
Prudential Uganda CEO Tetteh Ayitevie applauded partners for sustaining the initiative since its inception, reaffirming the insurer’s commitment to championing community safety.
“We are proud to have reached 18,600 riders with life-saving knowledge. Prudential remains committed to delivering real-time impact and building long-term resilience in the communities we serve,” he said. “As a life and health insurer, our responsibility extends beyond financial protection—we are custodians of public safety and well-being.”
The campaign benefited from strong collaboration with the Ministry of Works and Transport, Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, Uganda Red Cross Society, Uganda Police, Vision Group, and the Boda-Boda Leadership Association.
Representing the Ministry of Works and Transport, Ms. Cythia Bindeeba, Assistant Commissioner for Railway Transport Safety and Regulation, commended Prudential and URCS for steering a model multi-sectoral intervention. She noted that government continues to prioritize road expansion and safer transport systems.
“This training is timely as we approach the festive season. Road safety is a shared responsibility that combines infrastructure, vehicle standards, enforcement, and individual choices. Only collective action will create safer roads,” she said.
Uganda Red Cross Society Secretary General Robert Kwesiga hailed Prudential for sustaining Phase III, through which over 6,000 riders were trained. URCS delivered two-day sessions covering the Highway Code, drunk and distracted driving, proper helmet removal, speed limits, pedestrian safety, managing fractures and injuries, and providing first aid while alerting emergency medical services.
Over the course of the three-year campaign, riders received reflector jackets, helmets, certificates, and “I Commit” stickers symbolizing their pledge to safer riding.
SP Michael Kananura, Spokesperson for the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety, acknowledged the campaign’s measurable impact in high-risk districts. “We have seen improved vigilance and adherence to safety guidelines in areas where the SAFE STEPS trainings were conducted,” he noted.
The campaign’s achievements come at a critical time. According to the Uganda Police Annual Crime Report 2024, road crashes rose by 2.4%—from 23,608 cases in 2023 to 25,107 in 2024. Careless overtaking and speeding were responsible for nearly half of all crashes (44.5%).
Uganda also recorded a 7% rise in road traffic deaths, from 4,806 in 2023 to 5,144 in 2024. Fatalities among motorcyclists climbed by 13.2%, while passenger deaths on motorcycles increased by 10%.
As boda-bodas remain both an economic lifeline and one of Uganda’s most at-risk transport modes, the SAFE STEPS campaign emerges as one of the country’s most impactful private-sector-driven interventions. With Prudential pledging continued advocacy and partnership mobilization, the initiative leaves behind a stronger corps of trained riders—and a model for national road safety transformation.