Back To School: ‘Safe Kids, Safe Future’ Campaign Launches Road Safety Sensitization in Mbale

The “Safe Kids, Safe Future” campaign has officially launched its nationwide school sensitization program in Uganda, with the first road safety session held in Mbale City in partnership with the Traffic Directorate of the Uganda Police Force, Ministry of Works and Transport and led by the Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS).

The Back-to-School activation marks the start of a three-month charity initiative, running from February to April 2026. The initial sessions were piloted last year in the Kampala Metropolitan area.

“We started with Kampala as the pilot, and we intended to roll it out to schools across the country. Our goal is to educate young people so that, as they grow, road safety becomes part of their daily behavior. This year, we are expanding the campaign nationwide for children,” Steven Turyarugayo,Public Relations Consultant at ITMS stated.

Equipping Young Learners with Life-Saving Knowledge

During the sensitization sessions, ITMS officers led interactive discussions and demonstrations covering basic road safety rules, the meaning and interpretation of traffic signs, and the dangers of speeding, careless riding, and unsafe pillion riding. To reinforce learning outcomes, safety materials – including reflector jackets, signal bracelets, helmets, and road safety bookmarks – will be distributed to participating schools.

“Every day, Uganda loses two school-going children due to reckless driving. We are happy that ITMS cares about kids’ safety both via CSR activities like today and by providing smart transport solutions. Together, we can make Ugandan roads safer,” Michael Kananura, the Traffic Directorate’s Spokesperson.

Practical demonstrations showed pupils how to use zebra crossings correctly and identify safe pedestrian behavior. The sessions emphasized visibility and the use of reflective gear, particularly during early morning and evening hours when children commute to and from school.

“We would like to thank the Directorate of Traffic Police, the Ministry of Works and Transport, and ITMS for teaching us about road safety,”headmistress of Wanyare primary school, Milly Namataka  said, expressing their heartfelt gratitude to the trainers for supporting the sensitization sessions.

Atugonza Mitchele ,the headprefect at Wanyare primary  school reiterated the importance of the training session ,stating that it enlighted more to what they had missed out in the class room. lessons on road safety.

 

Looking Ahead

The ‘Safe Kids, Safe Future’ campaign aims to reach at least 3,000 pupils in a minimum of 12 schools over the three-month period. Upcoming activations are scheduled for Fort Portal City, Kampala, Mbarara, and other regions, culminating in a press conference in April.

As schools reopen for the academic term, the message from Mbale is clear: road safety begins with awareness – and every child deserves a safe journey to and from school.