School-going children in the Tooro sub-region have been directly empowered to practice safer road habits, as the Uganda Traffic Police, in partnership with the Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS) and the Ministry of Works and Transport, extended their road safety sensitization campaign to Fort Portal City.
On Friday, pupils at Buhinga Primary School and Tooro Parents School were taught about safe road usage and proper conduct while travelling to and from school. During the exercise, pupils were provided with crash helmets, reflector jackets, and armbands to improve visibility and protection while using the roads.
Ethan Natamba, a pupil at Buhinga Primary School, appreciated the traffic police for teaching them how to be safe on the road and for providing protective gear. “The campaign helped me understand how to cross the road safely and the importance of wearing a helmet while moving on a motorcycle,” he said. Faith Agaba, another pupil, said that she will share the knowledge on road safety with her parents and friends.]
She added that she will remind the boda boda rider who transports her not to overspeed and to ensure that children wear helmets.
Constance Asiimwe, Headteacher of Buhinga Primary School, welcomed the sensitization campaign, noting that many pupils face risks while commuting to school. She advised parents to prioritize children’s safety by avoiding overloading motorcycles and ensuring they know and keep records of the riders or drivers transporting their children for accountability and safety.
According to the Uganda Police Annual Crime Report, at least 14 people die daily in road crashes in Uganda, two of whom are school-going children, while many others sustain injuries. Nationwide, road crashes claimed more than 5,000 lives in 2024 and left over 25,000 people injured, highlighting the growing road safety challenge in the country. Michael Kananura, the Traffic Police spokesperson, said road safety is a collective responsibility requiring participation from all road users.
He noted that engaging schools helps pass road safety messages deeper into communities through children. He explained that children are among the most vulnerable road users and require continuous sensitization to help them grow with a culture of road safety and put it into practice.
He added that pupils often become road safety ambassadors by reminding adults to observe traffic rules. Kananura attributed many accidents involving children to reckless driving and unsafe transportation practices, particularly overloading of motorcycles, where some riders carry several children at once.
He encouraged parents who transport pupils on boda bodas to provide crash helmets to help minimize head injuries in case of accidents. Steven Turyarugayo, the Public Relations Consultant at ITMS, said the initiative is the second edition of the campaign, which started last year and aims to train at least 13,000 school-going children on road safety.
The campaign targets young learners to help build a generation that understands and prioritizes road safety, with the broader goal of creating a society that respects traffic rules. URN