Health
“Kwatamu Awo” Campaign Launched to Tackle HIV and Road Safety Among Boda Boda Riders
In a bold step to address the dual challenges of sexual reproductive health and road safety in Uganda’s boda boda industry, Reach A Hand Uganda and the United Boda Boda Riders Cooperative Union (UBBRCU) have launched a national campaign dubbed “Kwatamu Awo – You Only Live Once.”
Launched on August 6, 2025, at Reach A Hand’s offices in Lungujja, the campaign brings together a wide network of stakeholders—including stage chairpersons, boda boda riders, the Uganda Traffic Police, the Ministry of Health, and development partners—to deliver integrated health and safety services directly to riders across the country.
Through mobile outreach, the campaign will offer HIV testing and counselling, blood pressure checks, condom distribution, reproductive health education, and sensitisation on traffic rules and the importance of protective gear. It also aims to confront mental health challenges often overlooked in the sector.
Speaking at the launch, Eric Ofwono, Ministry of Health representative and Commissioner for Emergency Medical Services, stressed the urgent need for targeted interventions in a sector that has grown rapidly but remains deeply vulnerable. “Boda boda riders are often the first on accident scenes,” Ofwono said. “Yet without training, they are unable to offer even basic first aid. This campaign is both timely and essential.”
He added that the ministry, in collaboration with the Red Cross, is working to strengthen community-based emergency response, with boda boda riders at the center of this effort.
According to the Uganda Police Annual Crime Report (2023), boda bodas were involved in over 4,500 recorded accidents, the highest contributor to road crash fatalities in the country. However, the risks go beyond road crashes. Riders also face limited access to SRHR services, high HIV prevalence, and mental health challenges due to job-related stress, poverty, and stigma.
Superintendent of Police Michael Kananura, from the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety, warned that the lack of sensitisation among new and existing riders continues to fuel dangerous behavior on the roads. “Road safety is everyone’s responsibility—including passengers, who sometimes pressure riders to flout traffic rules,” he said.
The campaign’s title, “Kwatamu Awo”, is a street-smart Luganda phrase used by boda boda riders to warn each other against overspeeding. Mawejje Frank, National Chairman of UBBRCU, explained its deeper meaning: “It’s more than a slogan—it’s a peer-driven call for survival, for caution, and for change.”
He pledged that the campaign would ensure access to HIV services, first aid training, and increased awareness about safe riding practices. “We want to reduce the road carnage and health vulnerabilities associated with this profession,” he said.
Humphrey Nabimanya, CEO of Reach A Hand Uganda, reaffirmed his organisation’s commitment to the campaign’s goals. “We are here to ensure that every boda boda rider is not just seen as a risk, but as a person deserving of access to health, knowledge, and safety,” Nabimanya said. “This partnership is about transformation—of individuals, communities, and systems.”
The Kwatamu Awo campaign is part of UBBRCU’s broader Social-Economic Transformative Development Model, aimed at redefining the boda boda sector from the ground up. With nationwide outreach planned, the campaign is poised to become a turning point for Uganda’s riders—offering them the tools not just to survive, but to thrive.
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