Police have confirmed that eight people died in a motor crash early Sunday morning along the Kampala-Masaka highway.
The accident occurred at 2am near Kabale-Bugonzi, close to Peak Eclat Primary School. A speeding bus belonging to Jaguar Bus Company, registration number UBP 964T, was traveling from Kampala to Kigali, Rwanda, when it veered out of its lane and collided head-on with a Fuso truck, registration number UAV 988N.
The victims who died at the scene have been identified as Moses Awinyi, Musa Munyanda, Steven Kayinamura, Edwin Tushabomwe, Liz Akaliza, Teopista Amalia, Evelyn Natukunda, and Acham—all passengers on the bus.
According to Mr Sam Musoke, an eyewitness, the bus driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to collide with the truck traveling from Masaka to Kampala. “The bus overturned several times before swerving off the road and falling into a valley,” he said.
Mr Musoke added that locals, along with a response team from the Uganda Red Cross Society and police, managed to rush at least 40 injured individuals to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital for treatment.
Southern Regional Police Spokesperson, M. Twaha Kasirye, attributed the crash to speeding. “We continue to warn motorists against speeding. The accident occurred in the dark, and it is possible the bus driver had poor visibility, which impaired his decision-making and endangered the lives of those onboard,” he said.
This is the third fatal bus crash in just two weeks. Four days ago, ten people died when a bus belonging to Pokopoko Bus Company, registration number UBE 807T, collided with a Toyota Hiace commuter taxi, registration number UBR 812G, at Kaihura Trading Centre on Fort Portal-Kyenjojo Road.
On August 19, six people died and 37 were injured in a crash involving a Gateway Company bus, registration number UBQ 621Z, which collided head-on with a Fuso truck, registration number UBM 673K, at Kirumba Village in Lwengo District on the Masaka-Mbarara highway. Eyewitnesses reported that the crash happened when the bus driver, Batambuze Nayi, attempted to overtake a Jaguar bus just ahead of him. Nayi was among those who died.
According to police, 76 people died in road accidents on major highways across the country in the week of August 11-17. Additionally, 375 others sustained injuries. Vulnerable road users, including cyclists (24) and pedestrians (19), made up 85% of the total deaths, with motorcyclists alone accounting for 43% of the fatalities, pedestrians 25%, and pedal cyclists 7%.