Kampala, Uganda | ENTEBBENEWS.NET | Vivo Energy Uganda has donated 500 child safety helmets worth more than Shs 40 million to the Uganda Police Force to support road safety awareness and enforcement campaigns targeting school-going children who use motorcycle taxis for their daily commute.
The donation, made under the company’s “HeadsUp! No Helmet, No Boda” campaign, aims to improve the safety of young learners who remain among the most vulnerable road users in Uganda. Head injuries resulting from road crashes continue to be a major cause of severe injury and death, particularly among passengers travelling without protective gear.
The latest contribution marks another milestone in the long-standing partnership between Vivo Energy Uganda, the distributor and marketer of Shell-branded fuels and lubricants, and the Uganda Police Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety.
Over the years, the two institutions have collaborated on several road safety initiatives, including the “Tweddeko” – Every Life Matters campaign aired on NTV and the ongoing “HeadsUp! No Helmet, No Boda” campaign. Their joint efforts have included road safety sensitisation visits to public schools across the country, media awareness campaigns, and defensive driving training programmes for public service vehicle and boda boda operators.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Vivo Energy Uganda Managing Director Joanita Mukasa Menya said the donation reflects the company’s commitment to safety and responsible corporate citizenship.
“At Vivo Energy Uganda, safety defines our operations. Every day, thousands of children travel to school on boda bodas without helmets, facing significant risk. Our investment of over 40 million shillings in 500 child helmets is meant to protect these young lives.”
She said the company’s partnership with the police had enabled a shift from reactive responses to preventive road safety interventions.
“Our partnership with the Uganda Police Force over the years has allowed us to systematically transition from mere reactive measures to proactive, life-saving enforcement and education. Protecting the next generation requires collective action, and we are proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with parents of this nation, school heads and the Uganda Police in making our roads safer for learners,” she added.
Receiving the donation, AIGP Lawrence Nuwabiine, Director of Traffic and Road Safety at the Uganda Police Force, praised Vivo Energy Uganda for its continued support of road safety programmes.
“We welcome this timely and generous contribution from Vivo Energy Uganda. The Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety has prioritised behavioural change and public education as our primary tools to structurally bring down the unacceptable rate of road traffic accidents in Uganda. This donation directly supports our ongoing school sensitisation programmes, where our officers, alongside team members from Vivo Energy, actively teach children road discipline from an early age.”
He said the helmets would strengthen efforts to protect children while reinforcing road safety lessons delivered in schools.
“These 500 helmets will ensure that the vulnerable children we engage in public schools are not only legally compliant but physically protected. True road safety cannot be achieved by traffic penalty tickets alone; it is achieved through strategic collaborations, continuous public education, and providing the right safety infrastructure. We call upon other corporate entities to emulate Vivo Energy’s enduring commitment to saving lives.”
During the ceremony, Mukasa Menya was recognised by the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety for her contribution to road safety promotion and support for public awareness initiatives aimed at reducing road traffic injuries and fatalities in Uganda.
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