How we endured afternoon heat to walk 25kms
In our effort to curb the increasing road crashes in Uganda, we (Joe Walker and friends) hit the road on December 8, 2022, to raise more awareness about the same. Led by Mr. Joseph ‘Joe Walker’ Beyanga, we walked 25kms on the Northern Bypass in the hard-hitting sunshine.
Our walk was one of the many activities undertaken by Ugandans during the year’s Road Safety Awareness Week ahead of the festive season.
Our passion to spread the gospel about the increasing number of road accidents and how to avoid them enabled us to walk from Watoto Church in Ntinda to Namboole stadium before returning up to Kalerwe. During this journey, we were supported by our colleagues who drove ahead of us with drinking water.
Of course, some got tired and dropped out on the way but kept walking with us in spirit. Teamwork mentality took over as we endured what Mr. Robert Kabushenga described as “brutal afternoon heat”. Speaking of Kabushenga, he ran the first 16kms and walked the other 9km after tasking Beyanga to walk all the way to Mbale in his next campaign.
The determination to finish our goal finally enabled us to walk from Kalerwe back to the meeting point, Watoto Church at about 7:20 pm. Beyanga completed his 25km walk in 4:34 hours alongside four other colleagues.
To some of us, this was more than just a walk. It is a step towards ending avoidable deaths. On the other hand, new friends and memories were made. We look forward to holding more road safety awareness walks.
According to statistics, 14 Ugandans are killed daily in road crashes. Police have attributed these accidents to reckless driving, among other causes. Do not become a statistic, these accidents can be avoided!
The pictures below speak more about our 25km walk.
