On Sunday morning, Jinja’s Main Street and Iganga Road were transformed. Instead of cars honking impatiently in long queues, there were cyclists of all ages ringing their bells, children on roller skates gliding joyfully, and pedestrians strolling hand in hand in the middle of the road. For a few hours, the city’s heart beat differently—slower, healthier, and more human.
Jinja City joined the rest of the world to celebrate World Car Free Day, an annual event that challenges the dominance of cars in urban centers and promotes cycling, walking, and other non-motorized forms of transport. The celebration, held every September 22, was organized in partnership with the First African Bicycle Information Organization (FABIO) and Coop-Africa.
Mayor Peter Okocha Kasolo mounted a bicycle and led the ride himself, sending what he described as a powerful message of inclusion.
“Cities are built for people, not only for cars,” he said. “There are many residents who cannot afford vehicles, but they too deserve to enjoy the city. When we make the streets safe for cycling and walking, we give everyone equal access to urban life. If I, as mayor, can ride a bicycle, then anyone can.”
For Kasolo, cycling is more than just transport. It is a form of exercise, a remedy for lifestyle diseases like hypertension, and a way of reconnecting with the community. He revealed plans to make Nizam Road, one of Jinja’s busiest and most congested routes, permanently car-free by December.
“That will be my gift to this year’s Car Free Day,” he pledged.
The significance of Sunday’s event was not lost on Patrick Kayembe, from FABIO, who has been championing cycling in Uganda for decades.
“When we started Car Free Day in 1999, people pushed us to the peripheries,” Kayembe recalled. “They thought cycling did not belong in the central business district. Today, to see the mayor riding on Main Street is proof that sustainability has taken root.”
FABIO’s advocacy contributed to Uganda adopting a Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) Policy in 2013, which guides urban infrastructure development. According to Kayembe, cycling is not a luxury but a necessity—particularly for those who cannot afford cars.
“Cities are not meant for vehicles alone. They are meant for people—disabled, elderly, students, vendors, everyone. Cycling gives all of them access to the city,” he said.
Cycling’s impact is both personal and global. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 28% of deaths in Uganda are linked to non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension—many of which are linked to sedentary lifestyles. Just 30 minutes of cycling daily can cut the risk of heart disease by 50%.
On the environmental side, transport is one of the fastest-growing sources of emissions in Uganda’s urban centers. Research by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) shows that every 7 kilometers cycled instead of driven saves one kilogram of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.
Economically, bicycles are the backbone of many livelihoods in East Africa. Studies estimate that Ugandan households that rely on bicycles for daily errands save up to UGX 500,000 per year on transport costs—money that can go to education, health care, or business. For small traders and students, cycling often means the difference between reaching school or market on time, or not at all.
For Coop-Africa’s Marieke De Wild, Sunday’s event was a milestone. This was the first time Jinja officially hosted Car Free Day after signing an MOU earlier this year.
“In Jinja, 80 percent of people walk or cycle, but 80 percent of road space is given to cars,” she explained. “That imbalance needs to change. Today, I saw an elderly man timidly step off the pavement onto the road with his bicycle. I told him, ‘The street is yours today,’ and his face lit up. That moment summed up the purpose of Car Free Day.”
She also described the joy of watching a four-year-old child riding in the critical mass parade, “smiling like the whole city belonged to him.”
Young people, too, used the opportunity to call for safer cycling routes. Muhammad Mutale, a student at Jinja SS, said many learners depend on bicycles to get to school, yet they face constant risks from careless drivers.
“Cycling helps us keep time and stay healthy,” Mutale said. “We want the council to create safe routes so that students like us can ride without fear.”
Beyond the celebration, Car Free Day carried a message about what kind of future cities like Jinja want to build. Cycling represents freedom, equity, and resilience in the face of traffic congestion, pollution, and the rising costs of fuel.
Mayor Kasolo said he wants to institutionalize the event by holding it monthly or quarterly.
“Every city has to breathe,” he said. “If every month we dedicate a day to cycling and walking, people will exercise, shop, and socialize in ways they cannot on ordinary days. This is how we build a city where everyone belongs.”
