Nile Breweries Ltd (NBL) and Uganda Police have collaborated on a song project to spread awareness and promote safe road usage among Ugandans. The song titled Speed Kendeza, a luganda word translated literally to mean ‘reduce your speed’ reminds road users especially boda boda riders and vehicle drivers to always use roads while keeping in their mind that they have relatives, children and loved ones behind who would not want to lose them to accidents.
The songs lyrics written by Clever kat &Kabonaagye aka Umoja Boys who are part of the Uganda Police band, further list several do’s and don’ts on the roads, including avoiding over speeding, respecting traffic lights and avoiding drink driving among others, to prevent accidents. “Don’t dare drink and drive. Why should you ride your motorcycle while having waragi in your jacket. Why do you despise traffic officers for guiding you?” it says
Commenting on the collaboration, Onapito Ekomoloit, Legal & Corporate Affairs Director NBL said initiative is in line with the recently launched NBL Road safety Campaign dubbed Ondaba, Mind My Life. NBL officially flagged off the Ondaba Road Safety Campaign on the 18th, November 2022 at Mpigi Health Centre IV in Mpigi District along the Kampala Masaka Highway to raise awareness on road safety, support enforcement, and strengthen post-crash care interventions across the country, particularly along the Kampala-Masaka Highway, which has been identified to have a high fatality rate.
“We strive to impact and improve the welfare of communities. Safe roads are critical to the health and well-being of our colleagues, their families, and communities across the globe,” he said. “Ondaba calls for road users to be accountable to each other for their road actions. It urges them to “see” each other on the road and stimulate discipline and courtesy hence reducing reckless driving, unsafe road behaviour and curbing road traffic crashes,” he added.
Ondaba Road Safety Campaign under the theme, Mind My Life, Mind Your life, was timely as it was towards the end of the year when festival seasons begin, and there was an increase in movement, traffic and recklessness. The initiative comes on the backdrop of unprecedented spike in road accidents in the country. Several days ago, traffic police reported that a total 55 people had lost their lives in 206 accidents registered across the country during Christmas festive.
Despite various steps being taken by the government, road accidents continue to occur across the country. Most of the accident incidents have been blamed on errant road users who drive carelessly and ignore traffic rules and regulations.