Team Oscar turned grief into purpose at the Remembrance Walk
BY GLORIA IRANKUNDA On 5 December last year, at around 2p.m., a phone call changed Natalie Catherine Ndagire’s life forever. Her husband, Oscar Ojambo, had succumbed to injuries sustained in a road crash on the Northern Bypass in Kampala. Almost a year later, Ndagire stood at the start line of the 2025 Joe Walker remembrance walk accompanied by a group of people who shared a part of Oscar’s life, each determined to walk 10 kilometres to honour and remember his life. The team comprised Tarzan Mazinga, Jude Muhindi, Sheila Karungi, Bertha Tendo, Paul Mukama, William Mutebe and Ndagire, and went by the name Team...
Why some runners chose to walk at Joe Walker remembrance walk
BY GLORIA IRANKUNDA On the day of the Joe Walker remembrance walk, a number of runners put aside their running routines and chose a slower rhythm. The atmosphere itself seemed to encourage reflection rather than speed. Among the runners was Anita Komukama, a public health worker and recreational runner who balances her love for movement with a passion for wellness. For Komukama, choosing to walk was intentional. She said that walking shaped her long before she ever took up running. “Walking has saved my life on many fronts, and the Remembrance Walk is designed as a walking experience, so it felt natural to honour...
How team trailblazers prepared for victory in the Remembrance Relay Walk
BY GLORIA IRANKUNDA For the second year in a row, team trailblazers crossed the finish line at the Joe Walker remembrance walk, completing the 60-kilometre relay ahead of everyone else. The team's six members, Ken Ndandiko Kayiri, Mark Tushabe Kakuru, Sharifah Nalubwama, Moses Vubbya, Brian Mutono and James Makumbi, finished in 8 hours, reflecting their preparation and focus. Tushabe shared that each member was required to run at least four hours a week in preparation for the remembrance walk. That discipline kept them ready for the 10-kilometre stretches. "On the D-day, each member brought good vibes and energy simply by being confident and disciplined,...
Tibita missed the 60km mark, but not his purpose
By Gloria Irankunda On the morning of the remembrance walk, as most participants warmed up, John Tibita had already made his mark. By 7:50 am, he had become the first person to complete the 10-kilometre loop, smiling and energised as he prepared to begin his second round. His ambition for the day was to walk the full 60 kilometres, just as he had during last year’s remembrance walk. What made his effort more notable is that he had travelled all the way from Kisoro, arriving in Kampala at 1am. “With barely three hours of sleep, I was up again at dawn, ready to...
Road safety call grows stronger at the 2025 Joe Walker remembrance walk
BY GLORIA IRANKUNDA The morning of November 15th marked the third annual Joe Walker Remembrance Walk in Kampala, held in honour of victims of road crashes.At 6.43am, dozens of walkers set off from Sheraton Hotel Kampala, moving through Speke Road, Jinja Road, Lugogo Bypass, York Terrace and Acacia Avenue, with marshals stationed along the route to guide and refresh them, and reinforce messages of responsibility on the road.At different points, motorists stopped to read the placards. Some smiled while others nodded with a sense of acknowledgement.This year’s walk was more people-driven. Teams wore customised shirts, while others wore shirts honouring friends...
Joe Walker launches 2025 60km Remembrance Relay Walk
Joe Walker and friends launched the 2025 Remembrance Relay Walk, calling for stronger road safety enforcement and collective action to reduce Uganda’s alarming rate of road crashes. The launch took place at Mulago National Referral Hospital, where the Joe Walker team also donated wheelchairs, crutches, and other essential supplies to victims of road accidents. The Remembrance Relay, set for Saturday, 15th November 2025, will cover 60 kilometres under the theme “Walking to Remember, Walking for Safe Roads.” The symbolic walk will start and end at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel, bringing together individuals, corporate teams, and community groups to honor lives lost...
Joe Walker Kampala Boda-Boda Walk Report
The Joe Walker Kampala Boda-Boda Walk, held on 5th July 2025, was a landmark event aimed at drawing attention to the urgent road safety issues affecting one of Uganda’s most prominent yet vulnerable transportation sectors, the boda-boda industry. Boda+Walk+-+Joe+WalkerDownload ...
KAMPALA – GULU ROAD SAFETY WALK REPORT 2025
On 28th February 2022, Joe Walker and friends walked 342km from Kampala to Bushenyi in a road safety awareness walk dubbed “Joe Walker and Friends - Safe Roads, Save Lives”. This was the genesis. JW 2025 Kla-Gulu Report_250429_115542Download ...
Kampala to Gulu Walk; Hot, Tough
After walking a cumulative 360km in 10 days, under one of the hottest temperatures on record, the #JoeWalker Kampala to Gulu road safety awareness walk team entered Gulu City at 12:09pm on 5th March 2025. Days before we set off, the weather flipped, offsetting our original forecast of warm temperatures to very hot. I flirted with the idea of rescheduling the walk but never discussed it with the team. And then, the team after running a dry run actually reduced the walking duration by a day meaning we had longer distances to walk on average. I prayed, worked on my mental...
DAY TEN: JOE WALKER IN GULU
On Wednesday 5th March 2025, waltzing to Odong Romeo’s Yoo Leng, we landed in Gulu. Beaten and exhausted but high on adrenaline of crossing the finishing line, we jumped and danced like teens at the end of year kandake. After a few photos at the Elephant, we were joined by pupils of Gulu Baptist Primary School and a team of our partners from Responsive Drivers Uganda, and Pride Microfinance. Together we marched through the city to Gulu Post Office the last point of our walk. From there we proceeded to Gang Kal Madit where we were officially welcomed to Acholi...