A Policeman at Kakinzi

Drive Carefully on the Smooth but Narrow Roads

Recently we are driving on the road North from Kampala, the road is smooth and lovely, the grass on the side green and restful. Like most roads in Uganda, roads are two way and cars bypass each other in opposite directions.  Large trucks, taxis, small cars all vie for the fairly big road. The road seems generally sufficient until a big trailer is driving in front of you.  Then you realize that you cannot overtake because the road though smooth is too narrow to allow three cars alongside each other.  At a long lonely stretch between two towns I speed up and enjoy the cruise. Hurtling Gaa-Gaa buses long forgotten, the sun falling gently on the road. The sunshine is gently warm on my windscreen and has not yet shown her full December strength. As I speed up I see a traffic policeman standing in the far disctance. Immediately I check my speed to see if I am  over-speeding.

I then draw closer to that policeman and suddenly realise that he is not a policeman after all but a poster! He is a paper policeman. I like this paper policeman.

Paper Policeman

Paper Policeman at Kakinzi on the Nakasongola-Kampala Stretch. Copyright Noonya (U)Ltd.

I like him so much i stop and take a picture of him. I like him because he cannot give me a ticket but at the same time he makes me think of driving better and safer. I like him because he made me smile when i realized he was made out of paper. He looked so real. His bike reds 'safeway rightway'..hmmm. What does that mean?

Safeway Rightway; Making a Difference on the Roads

Once at home, I read up about this group that set up this cheering but serious paper policeman. They sound interesting.  I found out they are called Safeway Rightway;  www.swrw.org. http://www.swrw.org/  
The organization works all over East Africa to reduce the road carnage and the wastage  of beautiful human lives on East Africa's roads.

That very morning we had been witnesses at the scene of a horrible accident.   A full truck of bananas coming from Luwero to Nakasongola had overturned on a slope along the main road.

 Accident Site

Lorry carrying Bananas overturned across Luwero Nakasongola Road. Saturday  13/12/204.  Copyright. Noonya(U) Ltd

Two men were badly injured in the crash and a third lost his life. May his soul rest in peace. Living traffic policemen were trying to salvage men from the wreckage, loading them onto vehicles to transport them to the hospital. Though we sadly noted the lack of ambulances, the presence of the many helping policemen was a great relief.  

After driving away from that sad scene, seeing the paper policeman an hour later was a serious but cheerful reminder that we needed to drive carefully on this smooth but dangerous road. 

It is commendable that many individuals, the police, organizations like Safeway Rightway and community leaders are trying to reduce the carnage on our roads.

 Let each of us do our part by driving carefully, especially in the Festive season.

Have yourself a very Happy Christmas.