At least three people have lost their lives in a tragic road accident involving a Juba Express bus and a fuel tanker along the Kampala–Gulu Highway in Luwero District on Wednesday night.
The fatal crash happened around 8:30 p.m. at Nakkazi Village. According to witnesses, the Kampala-bound Juba Express bus, registration number SSD 251Z, was overtaking several vehicles when it collided head-on with a fuel tanker, registration UAV 190Q.
Residents who rushed to the scene said the victims included a woman and her child who died instantly, while the husband later died on the way to Luwero General Hospital. Several other passengers were injured and taken to the same hospital for treatment.
Mathius Sepuuya, one of the bystanders, said the bus was moving at high speed before the collision. “The Juba Express bus was overtaking other vehicles when it crashed into the fuel tanker,” he said.
He identified the tanker driver as Musa Nyago, who was reportedly returning to his home in Kiyenje after work when the accident occurred.
Another eyewitness, Godfrey Byakatonda, blamed the tragedy on reckless driving and the narrowness of the road. “The driver was careless, and this stretch is too narrow for buses and heavy trucks. We keep losing lives because of speeding and poor road design,” he said.
Police later towed both wrecked vehicles to Luwero Central Police Station. Officers at the scene declined to comment, saying they were not authorized to speak to the media, and police headquarters had not yet released an official statement.
The accident adds to the growing number of deadly crashes on the Kampala–Gulu Highway, one of Uganda’s most dangerous routes. Only last week, another collision in Kiryandongo District claimed 46 lives when two buses traveling in opposite directions collided after both attempted to overtake.
Traffic police have continued to urge motorists to drive cautiously, warning that speeding and reckless overtaking remain the biggest causes of deaths along the busy highway connecting Kampala to northern Uganda and South Sudan.