Michael Wanyama | Team Leader @Autosafety_UG

Clean, Safe & Sustainable Mobility - Africa | Winner 2022 ITF Award🥇 for Decarbonising Transport & 2022 World Smart City Award - Innovation | Rts ≠ Apvl

[Michael Wanyama | Team Leader @Autosafety_UG @thetechsamya]

Thrilled to announce @AutoSafetyUg won🥇🦾the 2022 @ITF_Forum #Award for #Decarbonising #Transport.
Thanks ITF for highly enabling us from now on🙏🏾
We also value our longtime supportive individuals & partners @Climate2025 @AirQoProject with @usmissionuganda @KCCAUG @MoWT_Uganda

[AirQo @AirQoProject]

Air pollution is an everyday reality for millions living along busy urban roads. In cities like Kampala, traffic-related #AirPollution is driven by more than emissions, it’s also driven by;

🚌 Aging vehicles
🛣️ Dust from roads
🚗Idling & congestion

Read how we're empowering communities to combat traffic-related air pollution in Kampala. 🔗https://t.co/JU3Zz9ssDO

[Ronald Amanyire @amronaldo]

Given the widespread circulation of this information today, I engaged in preliminary consultations with NTSA personnel. Their insights into the Instant Fines Management System (IFMS) highlight the key differences with Uganda EPS:

➡️Implementation of Driving Permits with a chip came first around 2019 which will now be used for implementing demerit point system along with the instant fines.

➡️They have had a PPP in place approved by Cabinet from the initial steps of introducing the smart driving permits (which are much cheaper than the Ugandan ones). KCB Bank is part of the PPP which may imply delays in payment will attract interest payments at commercial bank rates. The PPP covers many more functions including production of Driving Permits.

➡️Ministry of Transport procured and installed 1,000 smart cameras (fixed and mobile) monitoring major roads like Mombasa Road and Thika Superhighway.

➡️Fines covered
• Speeding
• Licence and inspection violations
• Plate and identification issues
• PSV compliance failures
• Driver conduct and road‑use violations

➡️Fines range from KShs 500 (approx. 15,000 UGX) to KShs 10,000 (approx. 300,000 UGX).

➡️No surcharges. KCB interest rates may apply.

[AirQo @AirQoProject]

Small habits can create a big impact on the air we breathe.

🚘 Turn off your engine when waiting in traffic.
🚶 Walk short distances instead of driving.
🚲 Use a bicycle where possible.
🚐 Choose public transport when you can.

Even reducing vehicle idling can significantly cut transport-related #AirPollution and help create healthier streets for everyone.

What change can you commit to this week?
@GAHP_Global

[Joseph Beyanga Joe Walker @Akeda4]

The hazards at Kyakabuga that have made this spot a death trap on Kampala Hoima road.

These two potholes, see video, which according to the locals have caused more than 9 serious road crashes most recent of which is one that occurred last weekend involving a truck and the bus that claimed 7 lives on spot.

Why can’t we fix these potholes and eliminate this death trap?

Safe Roads Save Lives

[AirQo @AirQoProject]

Research shows that over 35% of #AirPollution in Kampala is linked to transport-related activities.

Traffic congestion increases exposure to pollution for pedestrians, vendors, schoolchildren, and traffic officers.

This study, focusing on Kampala, examines the complex relationship between #UrbanTransport and #AirPollution, revealing a strong correlation between traffic patterns and roadside pollution.

Reducing traffic emissions protects our health.

Read the research > https://t.co/cYTQu1mUaY

[Michael Wanyama | Team Leader @Autosafety_UG @thetechsamya]

@ShaolinJaa @Ahmadansari2233 I have the projector, external camera, photo printer & loud speaker

[Ronald Amanyire @amronaldo]

Around 2015, when the World Bank was encouraging the Ministry to establish a Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (MATA) as part of the broader BRT agenda, I attended a World Bank workshop in Addis Ababa with a colleague who has since left the Ministry. One statement from the facilitators has stayed with me ever since: “You cannot engineer yourself out of traffic congestion.”

He explained that building more roads, widening highways, or constructing flyovers cannot, on their own, solve congestion. Congestion is not simply a road‑capacity problem. It is fundamentally a behavioural, economic, land‑use, and road‑management problem. Engineering interventions treat the symptoms, not the underlying causes.

He highlighted several issues that illustrate this point:

Induced or Latent Demand: Whenever road capacity is increased, more people choose to drive because the road initially feels faster. Over time, the new lanes fill up and congestion returns. This pattern is well‑documented globally. He gave the example of Seoul, South Korea — a city I had visited in 2007 and seen the phenomenon firsthand.

Kampala’s Radial Network: Kampala’s road network funnels traffic from Entebbe, Masaka, Jinja, Hoima, and Gayaza into a very small CBD core. Even with flyovers, all these streams still converge at the same point. A flyover may remove conflict at one junction, but it does not reduce the volume entering the city.

Land‑use Patterns: Most jobs, services, and government offices are concentrated in the CBD. This creates strong tidal flows: everyone enters the city in the morning and leaves in the evening. Flyovers cannot change the distribution of demand. Kampala continues to grow inward rather than outward, intensifying pressure on the same limited space.

The Geometry Problem: In dense cities, the real bottleneck is rarely the roads themselves. It is the intersections, off‑ramps, and city streets. You can build a 12‑lane highway/road but if all those vehicles must eventually exit onto a 2‑lane urban road with traffic lights, you have simply created a faster way to reach a stationary queue.

Weak Last‑mile Connectivity: Even when trunk roads are improved, the feeder roads in suburbs such as Ntinda, Najjera, Kisaasi, Makindye, Nansana, and Kireka remain narrow, unpaved, or poorly managed. Congestion simply shifts from the improved section to the next choke point.

Other Systemic Factors: Land‑use planning, enforcement, public transport quality, roadside activity, and general road management all influence congestion. Without addressing these, engineering solutions alone cannot deliver lasting relief.
Summary

The lesson from that workshop from the Kampala’s live in or work in is clear: you cannot build your way out of congestion. Sustainable mobility requires a combination of engineering, planning, enforcement, behavioural change, and institutional reform.

ADDING LANES TO FIX TRAFFIC CONGESTATION IS AKIN TO LOOSENING YOUR BELT TO CURE OBESITY. IT ADRESSES THE SYMPTOM (TIGHTNESS) WITHOUT FIXING THE CAUSE.

[AirQo @AirQoProject]

Day 2: From Nakawa to Kawempe Division: Continuing conversations on transport-related #AirPollution.

Community members in Kawempe shared experiences of living and working around busy transport corridors, linking everyday challenges like congestion, dust, and vehicle emissions to #AirQuality and health.

Discussions focused on practical actions individuals can take and the role communities play in protecting the air we all share.

[AirQo @AirQoProject]

Do you know the quality of the air you're breathing? Every day, thousands of cars, boda bodas, and taxis fill our streets and the air.

Transport-Related #AirPollution (TRAP) is one of the biggest invisible threats to our health in Uganda's cities.

Over the coming weeks, we'll lift the lid on TRAP, the science, the data, and what we can do about it.
Stay tuned 📢

[SP kananura Michael @M_Kananura]

As passengers in such a loaded vehicle, we should not wait for @PoliceUg to intercept the reckless driver. Speak out! Your voice could save lives

Our Toll Free 0800199099

[Joseph Beyanga Joe Walker @Akeda4]

THIEVES OR MARKS OF IMPUNITY?

We have a growing number of vehicles driving on our roads without number plates. I have seen some freely drive past Traffic @PoliceUg.

Is it a case of high levels of stolen number plates or these numberless cars are badges of impunity on wheels?

[Ronald Amanyire @amronaldo]

Another crash. Eight people dead. And once again the explanation is the same tired line: reckless driving, speeding, overtaking. At what point do we admit that these are human behaviours hard‑wired into every society? In every advanced country, they solved this problem not by preaching behaviour change but by engineering solutions.

Reckless driving is no longer the real cause of road crashes.
The real cause is negligence of duty by the Government MDA responsible for road safety.

Why do we refuse to see this? Do we not travel? Do we not observe the systems in place elsewhere—barriers, rumble strips, signage, lane discipline, speed‑calming infrastructure, automated enforcement, black‑spot redesigns? Or are we still deceiving ourselves that we can “change human behaviour” through slogans and press conferences?

Almost everyone in the responsible department has attended the two‑week course hosted by @TUDelftOnline. Yet the moment they land back at Entebbe, everything they learned is left on the plane. No implementation. No engineering. No systems thinking. Just recycled excuses.

Until we stop blaming drivers and start fixing the system, the crashes will continue—and so will the funerals.

[Michael Wanyama | Team Leader @Autosafety_UG @thetechsamya]

@KenyanSays That’s not innovation when it’s transforms one problem to another🤦🏾‍♂️, burning used oil puts health at risk

[Ronald Amanyire @amronaldo]

You are absolutely right. Syndicated and systemic corruption is the primary driver of road crashes. Globally, these incidents are no longer called “road accidents” but “road crashes,” precisely because they are preventable. This shift followed the 2004 World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention, which demonstrated that road deaths are not random events, they are the predictable outcome of policy choices.

The most effective way to drastically reduce road crashes, and the immense loss of life and trauma they cause, is for governments to deliberately implement proven safety measures. Yet in Uganda, the default approach is to blame drivers, road users, and even pedestrians, instead of addressing the institutional failures that create the conditions for these crashes. The paradox is striking: even when drivers are blamed, they are almost never prosecuted. In my 26 years of service, not a single driver has been held accountable, despite thousands of deaths every year. Entrenched corruption ensures that accountability simply does not exist. Parliament’s accountability committees don’t their jobs when it comes to road crashes.

Critical factors such as road condition and road geometry are rarely analysed for repair or corrective safety design. An estimated 99% of paved roads undergo no safety inspection and no maintenance assessment. Narrow, unsafe roads are constructed because corruption rewards cost-cutting and kickbacks. Driver and Road User education is compromised by corruption. Ambulance availability is undermined by corruption. Enforcement of regulations is weakened by corruption. Safer roads are not built because corruption diverts resources. Even road contractors go unpaid on time because corruption distorts the entire procurement chain.

In short, corruption is not a side issue—it is the central mechanism through which road crashes are not reducing and instead they’re now normalised as part and partial of road usage.

[Gabriel Buule @GabrielBuule]

18 -year -old Mugabi Winner who is also a senior four candidate, urgently needs to go for heart surgery in India, but her family has failed to raise USD 30,000 . Please Retweet until everyone joins this campaign to save her life. To help- 0707370498 Muwonge Ratib (Parent)

[Michael Wanyama | Team Leader @Autosafety_UG @thetechsamya]

In July, I joined the 2025 Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program 🌍 at UC Berkeley.
A diverse global cohort, interactive lectures, & a campus where nature meets technology made it unforgettable. Apply for 2026: https://t.co/TRw6sPAj1D
#ClimateAction #Sustainability #Leadership

[Michael Wanyama | Team Leader @Autosafety_UG @thetechsamya]

On #CleanAirDay, we highlight a major transport challenge in Africa; not just vehicle emissions, but harmful garage practices - waste oil, open-air spraying, tampered emission controls. @AutoSafetyUg, trains informal mechanics in sustainable practices to protect kids & planet.

[Clean Air Fund @CleanAirFund]

We’re excited to announce our 2025 #UrbanCleanAirChampions!🌍

From grassroots action in Accra, to influencing policy in Bangkok, these champions demonstrate how clean air action looks in practice. Meet them ahead of @UN #CleanAirDay 👇
https://t.co/piK9gNjLqj

[Warrior Moms @Warriormomsin]

Please join this International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, on Sep 7th.
Air pollution claims 8.1 million lives a year. It’s time we all buckle up. #RacingForAir isn’t just a theme, it’s a lifeline💙

Join from your park, neighbourhood, school, work or anywhere else to demand #cleanairforblueskies 💙