Kampala wins global award for implementing speed limit

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Uganda's capital, Kampala, is one of eight winning cities of the first-ever Initiative for Global Road Safety Speed Challenge.

Grouped into gold, silver and bronze categories, the winners — including three African cities — have been awarded for advancing road safety through policy and implementation of speed management measures.

Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Bogota (Colombia) took gold, Bengaluru (India), Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Guadalajara (Mexico) were the silver winners, while bronze went to Kampala, Mombasa (Kenya) and Quito (Ecuador).

In a bid to support their respective road safety efforts, the gold winners will receive $100,000 (356 million shillings), silver winners $75,000 (267 million shillings) and bronze winners $50,000 (178 million shillings).

Kampala was recognised for introducing a 30km/h speed limit in school zones and on urban roads, alongside the installation of raised pedestrian crossings near 20 schools.

This was announced Wednesday (August 27) by Bloomberg Philanthropies, which started the initiative.

Focusing on the arts, education, environment, government innovation, and public health, the organisation says it invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world "to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people".

In February 2024, the Ugandan government introduced the Traffic and Road Safety (Prescription of Speed Limits) Regulations, 2024, in a bid to standardise speed limits across road types and vehicle categories.

The regulations set 30km/h limits for high-risk areas, including schools, markets, hospitals, and business centres. Urban roads were also capped at the same speed limit to reduce crash severity and safeguard pedestrians.

The new measures replaced Uganda’s 2004 speed limit framework and align with global best practice, where urban limits range between 30 and 50km/h. They were enacted under Section 108(1) of the Traffic and Road Safety Act, Cap. 347, and introduced stronger enforcement mechanisms alongside structured speed management strategies.

'Speeding kills 1,600 daily'

While reviewing the KCCA 2024/25 plan and setting priorities for 2025/26, Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) executive director Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki emphasised that road safety, particularly for school-going children, remains a top priority.

Between June 2023 and March 2025, cities participating in the Bloomberg Speed Challenge were called upon to adopt World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations: speed limits under 50km/h in urban areas and 30km/h in high-risk zones such as schools and hospitals.

Globally, speeding is one of the leading causes of road crash fatalities.

The UN health agency estimates that 600,000 lives are lost to speeding each year, representing half of the world’s 1.19 million annual traffic deaths. According to WHO, higher speeds significantly increase the likelihood of serious injury and death during crashes.

“Speeding kills 1,600 people every day. It is a leading cause of preventable injuries and deaths worldwide,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies, WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries, and former mayor of New York City.

“For nearly two decades, the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety has worked with partners to save lives in countries around the world. Now, through the Speed Challenge, we are shining a spotlight on the most effective actions of winning cities – and the urgent need for more to follow their lead," he is quoted as saying.