Kampala has been globally recognized for its commitment to saving lives on the road, earning a Bronze Award in the inaugural Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) Speed Challenge.
The competition, held from June 2023 to March 2025, honored eight cities worldwide for successfully adopting and enforcing WHO-recommended speed limits below 50 km/h in urban areas and below 30 km/h in high-risk zones like schools and hospitals.
Sources close to the Bronze Awards informed the media today, August 28, 2025, that Kampala was recognized for introducing a 30 km/h speed limit in school zones and city roads, as well as installing raised pedestrian crossings near 20 schools to enhance safety for children and other vulnerable road users.
The source said Mayor Erias Lukwago praised the achievement, attributing it to effective policy implementation and the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies. He was quoted saying,
“This achievement reflects our shared commitment to creating safer streets for everyone,” we deeply appreciate the continued partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies. Their support has helped us turn policy into action saving lives and setting a standard other cities can follow,” Mayor Lukwago said.
The source further explained that Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies, highlighted the urgent global need to tackle speeding, noting that the initiative has helped save over 900,000 lives since 2007.
“With this recognition and new funding, Kampala is well-positioned to strengthen its road safety programs, focusing on creating safer streets for everyone especially children and pedestrians,” Michael said.
The source further noted that the city’s efforts helped reduce reported road fatalities from 411 in 2023 to 404 in 2024, lowering the death rate from 10.6 to 9.9 per 100,000 people. However, total crashes rose by 12.6%, highlighting the continued need for effective road safety measures.
Additionally, speeding is responsible for nearly half of the world’s 1.19 million annual traffic deaths, with Africa bearing a disproportionate share of this burden. Kampala joins other awardees such as Addis Ababa and Bogotá (Gold), Bengaluru and Buenos Aires (Silver). Winners receive grants to expand their road safety programs, with Kampala’s Bronze Award including $50,000 to boost speed management initiatives.
Bloomberg Philanthropies, which has backed road safety efforts in over 50 cities since 2007, estimates that its initiatives have saved more than 900,000 lives worldwide. Kampala’s recognition highlights the city’s increasing leadership in this global movement.
