The Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS), in partnership with Prudential Uganda, has successfully trained more than 18,600 boda boda riders in road safety and basic first aid under the ongoing SAFE STEPS Road Safety Campaign, officials announced during the Phase III grand finale held at Nakawa Vocational Training Institute.
The initiative, launched in 2022, has steadily expanded nationwide — training 4,000 riders in 2022/2023, 8,000 in 2023/2024, and 6,000 in 2024/2025 across the Kampala Metropolitan Area, Mukono, Entebbe, Mbale, Masaka, and Arua. The programme aims to reduce road crashes and strengthen community response to accidents through practical safety education.
Uganda Red Cross Secretary General Robert Kwesiga, who officiated at the ceremony, applauded the programme’s impact. “We appreciate Prudential Uganda for sustaining the road safety initiative — SAFE STEPS Phase III — through which over 6,000 boda-boda riders have been trained and sensitised on road safety and first aid in this third phase,” he said.
He added that the campaign focused on “the highway code, drunk driving, distracted driving, helmet removal, speed limits, pedestrian safety, managing fractures and injuries, and most especially educating the boda-boda riders about offering first aid while ensuring an ambulance is called each time a road traffic injury occurs.”
Representing Prudential Uganda CEO Tetteh Ayitevie, Head of Marketing and Communications Peter Mugarura reaffirmed Prudential’s commitment to community protection. “Prudential continues to be committed to sustainability, delivering real-time world impact, and building long-term resilience in the communities we serve,” he stated.
He emphasised that the initiative aligns with Prudential’s purpose, saying: “The SAFE STEPS initiative is closely aligned with our purpose — ‘For Every Life, For Every Future.’ As a life and health insurer, we have a responsibility that extends beyond providing financial protection.”
Mugarura thanked partners who have supported the programme since inception, adding: “We are proud that 18,600 boda-boda riders have been trained to date, and we will continue to lobby more partners to sustain this collective action.”
Officials from the Ministry of Works and Transport also lauded the partnership. Speaking on behalf of the Commissioner for Transport Regulation and Safety, Assistant Commissioner Cynthia Bindeeba said the training could not have come at a better time.
“The SAFE STEPS training is timely as we draw closer to the festive season,” she said. “It re-echoes the importance of road safety being a shared duty that protects all users — drivers, cyclists, pedestrians — and requires collective action beyond just government or law enforcement.”
According to Susan Kataike, Head of Communications at the Ministry of Works & Transport, there are about 1.5m boda bodas in Uganda (national estimates suggest 1.8m to 2.0m), with a huge concentration in Kampala, where figures vary but suggest around 350,000 operating in the city alone.
“Yet, we have only trained 18,600 boda-boda riders,” she noted, calling upon partners and stakeholders to join the collective effort.
According to Uganda Police, boda boda accidents are a severe crisis, consistently accounting for a huge chunk of road fatalities, with recent data showing motorcycles are involved in over half of fatal crashes and were responsible for 43% of all road accidents in 2022, resulting in over 1,400 deaths.
SP Michael Kananura, Spokesperson for the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety, cited factors like unsafe overtaking and speeding as contributors to the worsening road safety trend, which resulted in over 25,000 crashes recorded in 2024, leading to high daily fatalities and significant injury burdens.
“We acknowledge the impact that the SAFE STEPS campaign has had on improving road safety vigilance amongst boda-boda riders, especially in those areas where the training has taken place.”
URCS Spokesperson Irene Nakasiita said the campaign has contributed to visible behavioural change. “We have witnessed a remarkable behavioural change among many cyclists on the road, and we want to continue empowering even more riders to make our roads safer,” she said. “Together, we can save lives and build a culture of safety across Uganda.”
Stakeholders from road safety organisations, community groups, schools, and local leadership joined the Red Cross and Prudential at the event, marking a major milestone in efforts to curb Uganda’s high rate of road crashes.
