President Museveni has said government will increase funding for road safety campaigns through the Ministry of Works and Transport, citing the growing toll of accidents, particularly involving boda bodas, and the urgent need to raise public awareness and improve enforcement.
In a speech delivered by Vice President Jessica Alupo at the national Road Safety Conference in Munyonyo on May 14, Museveni said the investment would target pedestrian infrastructure, enforcement capacity, education programmes, and emergency response systems.
"Road safety is a necessity," Museveni said. "I therefore urge all stakeholders—the civil society, religious leaders, private sector, transporters, and the general public—to amplify the message on road safety to end fatalities and injuries."
The President noted that road development under his government had expanded Uganda’s classified road network from 6,800km in 1986 to over 159,000km today.
While this growth has improved connectivity and trade, he warned that road crashes have also increased as a result of driver indiscipline and limited safety awareness.
Government data shows that 14 people die on Uganda’s roads every day. According to the president, the country spends over Shs86.2 billion each year treating road crash victims, while families are forced to shoulder an average of Shs7 million in medical costs—especially for severe injuries caused by boda boda crashes.
"Just as we successfully carried out campaigns against killer diseases like HIV/AIDS, Ebola and COVID-19, we can also defeat road carnage through mass sensitisation and enforcement of traffic laws," Museveni said.
He reaffirmed Uganda’s commitment under the National Road Safety Action Plan (2021–2026), which aims to reduce road deaths and injuries by 25 percent by the 2026/27 financial year, and halve them by 2030.
The plan focuses on five strategic areas: safety management, safer roads, safer vehicles, safer road users, and post-crash response.
Museveni praised the Ministry of Works and Transport for its leadership in road safety efforts and also recognised the Road Safety Advocacy Coalition Uganda (ROSACU) for supporting government through advocacy, research, and public engagement.
He said such partnerships had helped shape major reforms, including the Transport and Logistics Policy and the Road Safety Action Plan.
Vice President Alupo, speaking at the same conference, lauded Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, the Minister of Works and Transport, for championing the revival of Uganda Airlines and expanding its routes—including direct flights to London—as well as pushing for investment in railways and aviation.
She urged the conference to also consider development of water transport, which she said remains an underutilised but vital component of Uganda’s broader transport infrastructure.
In his address, Gen. Katumba Wamala said an average of 14 Ugandans lose their lives to road crashes each day. He warned that without widespread education and behavioural change, these tragedies would continue.
"Education, awareness, and community engagement are essential in promoting road safety," Katumba said.
"We need effective collaboration with existing grassroots structures like parish development committees, school management committees, and road safety committees."
He launched a new government publication titled, Guide for Establishment of Safe School Zones in Uganda, which outlines best practices for planning infrastructure, traffic flow, and safety in and around schools.
The guide aligns with national policies, including the Non-Motorised Transport Policy and the Traffic and Road Safety Act.
Katumba also called for a change in how motorists engage with the roads.
"Roads are designed with road signs, but how many of us respect them? The road is telling you to drive at 80km per hour, but how many listen?" he asked.
"Let us learn to listen to the roads as they talk to us—that’s when we shall end road carnage."
Richard Baguma, a representative of ROSACU, echoed the call for increased funding and targeted interventions, saying the current financing gap undermines progress in reducing road deaths.
“There’s an urgent need for government to close the funding gap and implement focused strategies to enhance road safety,” he said.
The conference, under the theme, Road Safety for Socio-Economic Transformation, is bringing together government officials, civil society, and transport sector players to explore sustainable ways to reduce road crash fatalities and promote responsible road use.