More than 350 participants took part in the 3rd edition of the Joe Walker Remembrance Relay Walk on Saturday, honouring victims of road crashes and related incidents.
This year’s relay-format walk started and ended at Sheraton Hotel Kampala and was officially flagged off by Catherine Natalie Ndagire, widow of the late journalist Oscar Ojambo, who died in a road crash on the Northern Bypass in December 2024.
Speaking at the event, road safety champion Joseph Beyanga—widely known as Joe Walker—acknowledged ongoing efforts to curb road carnage but stressed that much more remains to be done.
“The works we are doing are having an impact. But as long as we are still losing lives in a reckless way, it doesn’t make sense to start counting our impact. Counting impact now is like counting stones in an ocean,” he said.
Walker noted that true progress will only be realised when every journey ends safely.
“The impact will be felt when everyone goes back home alive. That’s when we can say we have achieved something.”
He highlighted the emotional encounters he had with participants along the route, including families walking in memory of loved ones lost to road crashes.
“It wasn’t just about walking. It was about why people were walking. Team Oscar, walking for a loved one, really touched me. Seeing victims’ families join for the first time shows this is beyond numbers—it’s about human lives.”
Walker called for non-stop enforcement of road safety laws, warning that road crashes spike between 6pm and 9pm when traffic police leave the roads.
“We need enforcement that doesn’t go to sleep. If enforcement is consistent, we can secure our roads at all times.”
He also criticised gaps in road safety infrastructure, drawing a distinction between smooth and safe roads.
“A safe road is forgiving. Right now, veer off by an inch and you’re in a trench. And yet, we produce excess electricity but our roads remain dark. Where’s the contradiction?”
Walker applauded donors for supporting crash victims.
“By last week, we had raised shs2.4 million for Mulago Hospital. Today, we received much more, including shs10 million from ITMS. These funds will support victims in various hospitals, guided by the Orthopedic Society of Uganda. If people keep giving, we might even make Christmas special for patients who have been hospitalized for months without visitors.”
Families, civil society groups, and road safety advocates participated in the walk, calling for safer roads and stronger enforcement. Walker concluded by reminding the public that statistics represent real people.
“People are beyond numbers—they are sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, teachers. When we attach faces to the numbers, we truly see the impact.”
According to the 2024 Police Crime Report, Uganda loses 14 people to road crashes every day.
