Day 5: Teaching school children how to keep safe on the road
From Kyenda, our first stop was in Kyankwanzi town, where we had a chat with Boda Boda riders. Jolly fellas, very organized under the Bukirwa Boda Bodas association. Like you and me, their biggest worry on the road is getting back home alive. Their major challenge is kids, narrow roads with no provision for riders, reckless drivers with total disregard of other road users and then some school kids who walk “in the road” and don’t “give way” to motorists. Joined by the ASP Bakumwanyi Ronald, OC Traffic Kyankwanzi, we shared tips on how we can all safely use the road and...
Day 3: The danger with reckless driving with trucks
The team interacts with school children and comes across another accident scene, as Joe Walker narrates. Day Three What a day; we were sandwiched between the joy of interacting with kids of Victory Junior school Kituuma and ugly scenes of rescue workers trying to cut through the wreckage of a cargo truck, looking for signs of life in it. We lifted off from Kikandwa at 8am, setting out to Kiboga Nursing School, where we have camped after trekking for 49.5km. The day started with an interaction with pupils of Victory Junior School, Kituuma which sits right on the highway. Having experienced some unfortunate incidents,...
Racing trucks and an accident on day two
On Day Two, Joe Walker and friends witness an accident happen and vehicles racing with no concern for other road users. Today the Kampala to Hoima road safety walk lifted off from Kakiri at 7am. As we hit the road, my mind kept going back to the words of Rev. Benoni Magarura aka Uncle Ben: "If we all exercise patience with each other on the road, we will increase our chances of getting home safe." Uncle Ben, the former Chaplain of Makerere University, met us at Kayunga Wakiso. He is a victim of a road crash in which he suffered multiple broken bones...
Kampala to Hoima walk flagged off
Although the sky was overcast, with a slight but constant drizzle going on through the morning, the Joe Walker Foundation team and friends looked ready to tackle to start off the fifth annual road safety walk. The walk which is slated to take six days, was flagged by the Minister of Works and Transport, Gen Katumba Wamala, at Sheraton Hotel on the cold and grey morning on February 28th. Gen Wamala in his remarks thanked Joe Walker (Joseph Beyanga) for his work and urged him to continue as he pledged the support of the ministry. “The work you do, even if you...
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...
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...
Joe Walker launches Kampala-Gulu Walk for safer roads
BY GLORIA IRANKUNDA Over the past few years, Joe Walker aka Joseph Beyanga has become a familiar sight on Ugandan roads, walking long distances to spark conversations about road safety. On February 24, 2025, he and his team will continue on that path by setting off on a 10-day journey from Kampala to Gulu. The walk under the theme "Safe Roads Save Lives" will begin at the Independence Monument in Kampala where Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Katumba Wamala will flag off the participants at 6a.m. Joe Walker and his team will pass through several towns, engaging communities in discussions about safer road...