KAMPALA— Every day, more than 860,000 people around the world are injured at work, many due to a simple but deadly gap: a lack of awareness about occupational safety, health, and environmental protection—commonly referred to as OSHE. In Kampala, the situation is no better. A recent study revealed that 32.4 percent of construction workers in the capital have sustained occupational injuries, 70 percent of which occurred during night shifts.
These alarming figures were brought to light during a high-level training workshop hosted at Makerere University’s School of Engineering, where educators from Makerere, Kyambogo, and Busitema Universities gathered to discuss how to bridge the knowledge gap between academia and the public, the “wanainchi”—on OSHE.
The consensus was clear: Uganda must embed OSHE education into the national curriculum, starting from primary school.
“If institutions of learning could adopt OSHE into their curriculum from lower primary education, it wouldn’t be a challenge at our workplaces,” said Mr. Jeffy Briton Ssemuddu, an OSHE specialist and keynote speaker at the workshop.
Ssemuddu emphasized that many of Uganda’s workplace tragedies—and even broader societal risks—stem from a lack of safety knowledge. From fatal school fires to rising traffic accidents, he says the thread connecting many of these incidents is a lack of training in risk awareness and prevention.
“When you critically analyze most causes of death in Uganda, they result from a lack of prior knowledge of OSHE,” Ssemuddu said. “Look at Boda Boda risks, school violence, wetland encroachments, road accidents, and the spread of diseases due to poor working conditions. All of these trace back to safety ignorance.”
The specialist also pointed to chemical exposure, noise pollution, and repeated occupational diseases as major health risks. He described a disturbing pattern: workers falling sick from exposure at their jobs, receiving treatment, and returning to the same unsafe conditions, only to fall ill again, sometimes fatally.
“It’s like a cycle,” Ssemuddu explained. “A worker recovers from a chemical infection or hearing damage, returns to the same job without any safety improvement, and a few years later, they die. That is preventable.”
Ssemuddu also cited research showing that nine out of 10 engineering job postings now require OSHE certification. The data underscores the urgent need to equip students with practical safety knowledge early in their academic journey.
“It’s time for us to ensure this training is taken seriously,” he said. “Our students must acknowledge the importance of OSHE and become responsible ambassadors for safety.”
He added another startling insight: almost one Boda Boda rider per stage dies each day from pneumonia or lung-related illnesses—a statistic he attributes to prolonged exposure to dust and fumes without proper protective gear.
The workshop also featured remarks from Associate Professor Kizito Maria Kasule, Deputy Principal at Makerere University, who called on educators to lead by example and prioritize OSHE advocacy.
“It is the duty of every employee to wear and care for personal protective equipment, report hazards, and look out for one another in the workplace,” he said. “We must all be agents of change.”
Dr. Betty, one of the workshop’s facilitators, agreed that OSHE awareness must go beyond the classroom. She emphasized the importance of identifying root causes of risks and working proactively to minimize them before harm occurs.
Uganda’s Occupational Safety and Health function is housed under the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, tasked with enforcing the Occupational Safety and Health Act (2006). However, implementation remains patchy. Most workplaces lack a designated safety officer, despite International Labour Organization (ILO) guidelines mandating one.
This failure in enforcement has left thousands of workers vulnerable.
The workshop ended with a powerful call to action: integrate OSHE into all levels of education and create a culture where every Ugandan—whether a student, engineer, teacher, or rider—understands their right to a safe workplace and their role in creating one.
