Rwanda National Police

Rwanda National Police (RNP) extended the road safety awareness campaign dubbed Gerayo Amahoro to higher institutions of learning as part of the strengthened measures to promote road security.

The campaign was this week taken to students of Adventist University of Central Africa (AUCA), Masoro Campus as RNP and partners in road safety continues to reach out to all categories of road users to abide and be responsive to road safety rules and regulations.

The road safety message was attended by the Police Spokesperson in Central Region, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Marie-Gorette Umutesi flanked by Dr. Ndahayo Clever, AUCA Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs  

While speaking to over 1500 students of AUCA early this week, CIP Umutesi, the Police spokesperson of City of Kigali, reminded them to always be vigilant when using the road, either as drivers or pedestrians.

“Proper road usage and respect for traffic control signs should be your priority when on the road, it’s for your own safety and that of other road users,” CIP Umutesi said.

“We are in the ongoing campaign called Gerayo Amahoro, which emphasizes positive attitudes, decisions and behaviors when using the road, we urge you to supplement these efforts to save lives. Use the right and safe side of the road when walking…always use the left side facing the oncoming traffic and avoid using a phone when crossing the road.”

She urged them to be ambassadors of road security by sensitizing their friends, families and community members on proper road usage.

She explained that the campaign is meant to address reckless and dangerous behaviors of driving under influence of alcohol or other psychotropic substances, speeding, tampering with speed governor, driving without mechanical inspection certificate, using the phone when driving or crossing the road and other traffic violations.

Rosine Mukeshimana Kanyana, one of the students reminded her colleagues that road safety is a shared responsibility, especially to the young people.

“This is an international university that combines students from 17 countries; if each one of us owns up and takes this message; no doubt it will reach out to many people to create behaviour change on our roads and safety in our country,” Mukeshimana said.

She added: “As a pedestrian or driver, you wake up in the morning going to run your errands with the purpose of arriving to your destination and coming back safe. We leave home going for our studies and we have to be very safe on these roads but also ensure that everyone is safe, which comes back to each and every one of us on what we can do to prevent errant road users.”

The two-month campaign in schools, which is part of the year-long Gerayo Amahoro targets over 4000 schools across the country.