Bloomberg Philanthropies has announced Kampala, Uganda, as a bronze category winner in the first-ever Initiative for Global Road Safety (IGRS) Speed Challenge, recognizing the city’s efforts to reduce dangerous speeding and improve road safety.
The Speed Challenge, which ran from June 2023 to March 2025, called on cities and states to adopt the World Health Organization’s recommended speed limits—under 50 kilometers per hour in urban areas and under 30 kilometers per hour in high-risk zones such as schools and hospitals—and implement a range of strategies to curb speeding.
Winners receive between $50,000 and $100,000 to further advance their road safety efforts.
Kampala earned the bronze award for its contributions to national road safety regulations, including implementing a 30 km/h limit for both school zones and urban roads, and installing raised pedestrian crossings near 20 schools.
Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies, WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries, and former mayor of New York City, emphasized the importance of tackling speeding, which claims 1,600 lives daily worldwide.
“For nearly two decades, the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety has worked with our partners to save lives in countries around the world. Now, through the Speed Challenge, we’re shining a spotlight on the most effective actions of winning cities—and the urgent need for more to follow their lead,” he said.
Winning cities were recognized not only for adopting WHO-recommended speed limits but also for implementing additional measures such as redesigning streets to slow traffic with speed humps and raised pedestrian crossings, enhancing enforcement, and running media campaigns to raise public awareness.
Gold winners included Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for citywide installation of speed humps and sustained enforcement that reportedly saved 37 lives, and Bogotá, Colombia, for measures that resulted in zero fatalities in the first six months and an 82 percent decrease in injuries to vulnerable road users.
Silver winners included Bengaluru, India; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Guadalajara, Mexico. Bronze winners alongside Kampala were Mombasa, Kenya, and Quito, Ecuador.
The Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety partners with governments and local organizations to strengthen legislation, improve road infrastructure, change road user behavior, enhance vehicle safety, and improve data collection.
Since 2007, the initiative has supported road safety interventions in more than 50 cities and provinces, contributed to stronger national road safety policies in 21 countries, and is credited with saving an estimated 900,000 lives worldwide.