In a fresh bid to curb the staggering number of motorcycle-related fatalities on Ugandan roads, the Traffic Police directorate is planning to partner with tech platforms to stream road safety campaigns directly to boda boda riders and their passengers.
The development was revealed by Traffic Police spokesperson, SP Michael Kananura, during the closure of the six-month ‘Beera Ku Digital’ skills training programme for riders in Kampala on Friday.
According to SP Kananura, conventional sensitization methods like radio and television have failed to yield the desired behavioral change among riders due to the fast-paced nature of their job.
‘Motorcyclists are very busy, and they may not listen to us on radio or television,’ SP Kananura said. ‘We are going to engage the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and other partners to see how best we can integrate road safety messages into these digital platforms so that riders and passengers can access them directly.’
The shift to digital communication comes at a time when the boda boda sector remains the leading contributor to the country’s grim road safety record. Recent Annual Crime and Traffic Safety reports consistently rank motorcycle accidents as the top killer on Ugandan roads.
SP Kananura revealed that the situation has escalated into a severe public safety crisis, with motorcycles now dominating accident logs.
Out of every 10 recorded road crashes in Uganda, eight are motorcycle-related.
Authorities frequently intercept single motorcycles carrying between three to five passengers.
A majority of fatalities are attributed to severe head injuries because riders either completely shun helmets or opt for cheap, substandard alternatives.
Beyond road safety, the police believe digital tracking and registration on these platforms will help combat urban motorcycle thefts and boost passenger security by creating a digital footprint for every trip.
The Beera Ku Digital pilot project-implemented by IMPACT Outsourcing in partnership with Simba Automotives and funded by the UCC’s Universal Service Access Fund-aimed to bridge the digital gap for urban transport workers.
The initiative exceeded its initial targets, training 3,389 riders across the greater Kampala metropolitan area with phase one (December to February) which covered Mukono and Wakiso districts witnessing at least 1,741 riders trained while phase two which covered Kampala City Divisions left 1,648 riders enrolled for the tarining.
The multi-agency training sessions combined digital literacy with crucial state services. The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) helped riders register for National IDs, while MTN Uganda and Pearl Bank onboarded them onto the Wendi mobile wallet for financial inclusion.
Organizers estimate that through peer-to-peer knowledge sharing within various boda boda stages and associations, an additional 20,000 people were reached indirectly.
Mr James Stephen Mpango, the Manager for Projects Monitoring and Evaluation at UCC, noted that while the commission traditionally focuses on rural communities, schools, and farmers, it became apparent that urban transport workers were being left behind by the digital economy.
Responding to riders’ concerns regarding the high cost of smartphones and internet data bundles, Mr. Mpango urged them to look at the long-term return on investment.
‘Complaints about the cost of devices and data are legitimate,’ Mr. Mpango acknowledged. ‘However, when you look at the trends over the last decade, the cost of digital services has reduced significantly compared to many other commodities. Embracing technology reduces the need for costly travel and paperwork.’
Mr Gideon Nkurunungi, the Chief Executive Officer of IMPACT Outsourcing, emphasized that the training went beyond transport applications to encompass broader livelihood skills.
‘We trained riders on how to use digital tools to access opportunities, save money, invest, and safely apply for loans without falling into predatory traps,’ Nkurunungi said.
Despite the success of the pilot, organizers highlighted that a lack of legal identification remains the biggest roadblock to formalizing the sector. Hundreds of riders remain locked out of digital banking, mobile wallets, and ride-hailing apps simply because they do not possess National IDs-a challenge officials say must be urgently addressed to fully professionalize the boda boda industry.