Kampala to Fort Portal: Day one ends successfully
We have safely come to the end of Day One of the #JoeWalker Kampala to Fort Portal road safety awareness walk. We started off at 6:45am at the Independence monument, Nile Avenue. We were flagged off by Hon. Gen. Katumba Wamala Minister of Works and Transport who urged drivers to take extra care and protect the walkers. The minister retaliated the government’s commitment to crack down on errant drivers starting with those of government cars; review the infrastructure to make it safe for all road users; and improve safety of pedestrians. After the brief speech, boom….he flagged us off. Gen. Wamala...
Joe Walker, friends take on 300km challenge to Fort Portal
By David Mujuni In the wee hours of Monday morning, Joe Walker and his fellow trekkers gathered at the Independence Monument in Kampala to take on yet another challenge. Despite the chill brought by the previous night's rain, the group were united by a common goal: spreading road safety awareness in Uganda. The walkers began arriving as early as 6am, determined to conquer over 300 kilometres in their road safety awareness drive that is expected to last for 9 days. The arrival of the chief guest, Transport and Works Minister Gen Katumba Wamala, further bolstered the group's spirit. In his address, Gen Katumba...
Joe Walker: Why I’m trekking to Fort Portal
By David Mujuni After successfully completing two national walks from Kampala to Bushenyi and Mbale in 2022 and 2023 respectively, Joe Walker will embark on his third trek on February 26, 2024. This time, he sets his sights on Fort Portal Tourism City in Western Uganda, leading fellow walking enthusiasts on a 310-kilometer journey to raise awareness about road safety. While raising awareness remains the core purpose, his choice of Fort Portal this year holds deeper meaning. Joe Walker whose official name is Joseph Beyanga recognizes the Kampala-Fort Portal highway's significance in the national road network, highlighting Tooro Kingdom’s scenic beauty as...
The difficult realities of walking on Kampala roads
By David Mujuni As the sun began to rise over our capital city Kampala, a group of determined walkers set out on a 60-kilometre journey. Yes, I know. For many this sounds crazy, but for these walkers, this was something they had eagerly been waiting for. The walk was not only for personal fitness and leisure but to honor the memory of road crash victims and raise awareness about road safety. While most teams wanted to top the relay, team The Panthers (David Mujuni, Doreen Nasasira, Becky Kategaya, Catherine Ageno, Collins Bareija aka Emeka, & Ronald Senvuma), set a goal of making...
Man honours departed brothers in 60km walk
By Belinda Birungi The drizzle and rain on November 19 rain didn't not stop participants like John Ssembogo from taking part in the Joe Walker Remembrance walk. Ssembogo, a member of Team Nkozi, walked the full 60km and he shares what drove him to do that. Tell us a little about who you are. My name is John Ssembogo, born and raised in Kyotera. I'm 29 years old and an Information Technology practitioner. Why did you join the walk? I joined the walk to particularly remember my deceased brothers and to represent the millions of people who lost their loved ones but couldn't make it...
“Walking is good for my mental health” – Anita Komukama
By Belinda Birungi The chilly November 19, morning dawned with the set- off of the participants of the Joe Walker 60km Remembrance Walk: In a bid to further re-echo the importance of road safety and to pay respects to the memory of thousands of Ugandans who lost their lives or got injuries in road accidents, the walk attracted a number of participants among whom was Anita Komukama who had a knee surgery and later emerged as the fastest female walker. A one-on-one with Ms Komukama, a member of the Twitter Running Community team gives us an insight in her journey leading to and...
How Team Kisoboka planned, executed and won
By David Mujuni Team Kisoboka emerged victorious in the 60km relay remembrance walk held on November 19th, 2023. The walk was spearheaded by road safety advocate Joe Walker to honour road crash victims. The winning team comprised six members; Hebert Kanyali aka KGB, Alex Hashaka (team leader), Kenneth Asiimwe, Carlos Pambara, Solomon Kobwemi, and Ritah Orikiriza. Two of the team members (Alex & Solomon) travelled from Masaka to Kampala at the crazy hour of 3am to ensure they arrived on time for the event, as Herbert Kanyali narrates. Planning “Right from the start, we selected our members by determining those that would be able...
Participants brave rain to complete 60km Remembrance Walk
By David Mujuni Participants in the Joe Walker Remembrance Road Safety Walk defied many odds on Sunday November 19th, when they completed the 60-kilometre walk aimed at honouring road crash victims. The walkers converged as early as 5:30am at UMA, Lugogo in Kampala ahead of the memorable relay walk spearheaded by road safety advocate Joseph Beyanga commonly known as Joe Walker. Fired up for the task, several teams composed of six people fronted their starting members who were given batons that they held onto for 10 kilometres before handing them over to the next teammate. The first group hit the road at about...
We are walking for a good cause – Participants share highlights of the 60km Remembrance walk
By David Mujuni Despite the Sunday morning rain that started at about 8am, a number of participants were able to complete their 10km task each in the Joe Walker 60km Remembrance Road Safety Walk. There were cases where some walkers covered over 20km after some of their teammates failed to make it. According to the plan, each six-member team was supposed to cover 60km with each participant walking 10km in an activity that started at 6am at UMA, Lugogo in Kampala. We talked to a number of participants who shared their experiences with us. Hosea Wasswa, who was the first walker from Team...
Remembrance Walk off to a good start
By Carol Alyek Beyanga By 5.30am, participants had gathered at UMA Showgrounds ready to take part in the Joe Walker Remembrance Walk. Teammates were ready, swapping ideas, doing last minute stretches and warm-up exercises. Before setting off, Joseph Beyanga, aka Joe Walker, reminded the walkers about the importance of road safety and the main reason they were walking. "Each of us knows someone who has been in an accident. For many who got injured, they cannot be with us. For the 4,534 who passed on last year, they can never be with us," Joe Walker stated solemnly, reminding the teams to enjoy...