Road accidents continue to be a major challenge in Uganda with many of these claiming lives and leaving other nursing wounds.
According to the latest report released by the Traffic Police in June, more than 3,000 people were killed and another 10,000 picked injuries of varying degrees in 13,244 road accidents last year.
For the last 12 years, sports scribes under their umbrella body Uganda Sports Press Association (USPA) have been sensitising the public about good road usage in a bid to reduce the accidents.
Ahead of their annual road safety campaign, USPA has revealed they will refurbish the Casualty Ward at Mulago Hospital that is in a bad state according to President Patrick Kanyomozi.
“Over the weekend, social media was awash with pictures of the sorrow state of the Casualty Ward at the national referral hospital. But this comes at a time when USPA had already thought of this and as we mark our annual road safety campaign week, we shall refurbish the casualty ward at Mulago,” Kanyomozi.
“In addition to refurbishing the ward, we shall erect a waiting shade because there’s none at the moment and we shall also work on the washrooms.”
It should be noted that the USPA annual road safety campaign week is composed of events held in commemoration of former sports journalists who perished in a road accident in 2001 in Lugazi along the Jinja- Kampala highway.
These included; Kenneth Matovu, Simon Peter Ekarot, Leo Kabunga and Francis Junior Batte.
Besides refurbishing the ward, USPA will carry out several activities including a memorial church service at Christ the King on Wednesday, refurbishing of the memorial monument and painting of two Zebra crossings in Lugazi.
In addition, there will be a cycling competition in Lugazi town to climax the week-long activities.
On Monday, USPA received a sponsorship package worth 10M towards the Saturday event from Supreme Flour a product under the flagship of Mandela group of companies.
Of the aforementioned amount, 3.5M will come in cash while the rest will cater for prizes, trophies and branding among others.
Rashid Jaffer Omar, the sales manager for Supreme Flour while announcing the sponsorship package in Industrial Area, indicated they join USPA to continue sensitising road users about accidents.
“As one of the products from Mandela group of companies, we extend our support towards USPA in their efforts to reduce the rampant road accidents. We believe this is a good cause that will help to sensitize the public.”
Supreme Flour join KCCA FC, Standard Chartered Bank and Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) who have already extended their commitment towards the events.