The Rwanda Muslim Community (RMC) has joined Rwanda National Police to educate all categories of road users on safer road usage.

The formal partnership in Gerayo Amahoro—arrive safe—started this Friday when the campaign was conducted in 33 mosques across the country. 

This follows similar campaign launched and being conducted by the Catholic Church and protestant churches. 

While speaking to Muslim faithfuls at Al Madinat mosque in Kigali, RNP spokesperson, Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera thanked the Muslim Community in Rwanda for the good working relations with the Police in promoting safety and security. 

"We appreciate that you continue to spread the message of security and peace, and now taking another step in this partnership to educate Muslims on road security as we thrive to make road safety in our country a culture,” CP Kabera said. 

"Islam is a religion of peace and ensuring the safety and security of people is one of those important values we share."

He reminded hundreds of Muslim faithfuls to respect traffic rules and regulations especially regulating speed, respect for other road users, doing away with habits of driving while using the phone and other reckless human decisions, which contribute at least 80 percent of all accidents. 

"Gerayo Amahoro is all about positive values to fight impaired driving including drunkenness, abuse of drugs, violating traffic lights and pedestrian cross-walks. We want to influence discipline and positive behaviours on safer road usage,” CP Kabera said.

Road accidents decreased by 17 percent last year, from 5,611 in 2018 to 4,661 accidents in 2019. Despite the reduction, pedestrians were the majority victims with 223 fatalities, 184 motorcyclists and 130 cyclists.

Accidents, however, reduced by 42 percent in the last four months of 2019, which is largely attributed to Gerayo Amahoro campaign.

CP Kabera further discouraged the common habit of motorists, who keep left especially on two-lane-one-directions roads, which is a traffic offence.

"Motorists should have it in mind that the left lane, especially on two-lane-one direction roads, is reserved for passing or overtaking traffic. This means traffic using the left lane must yield to traffic wishing to overtake. Keep right, use the left lane only when want to overtake.”

The Mufti of Rwanda, Sheikh Salim Hitimana, said: "Islam is a religion that values life and rehabilitates humanity, road safety and saving lives from accidents caused by vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians falls under these values of Islamic faith.”

"We have been given an important message for our safety on roads both as we go about our varied errands and even to and from our prayers. We are happy to join this national undertaking to raise awareness against anything that threatens the well-being of the people including recklessness usage of roads.”