More than 30 Kenyans are currently receiving treatment in Uganda following a road accident that occurred as they were returning from the Namugongo Martyrs Day celebrations on Wednesday, June 4.
The accident took place at the UCI Cell in Osukuru Town Council, near the Uganda-Kenya border, when a bus belonging to Kasima Mixed Secondary School lost control and overturned. The bus had 51 passengers on board at the time of the crash.
Eyewitnesses at the scene reported that the bus was attempting to avoid a speeding truck when the incident occurred. “Both the bus and the truck were coming from Jinja heading toward Tororo. The truck was moving very fast. As the bus driver tried to give way, it veered off the road and overturned,” one witness recounted.
Charles Theuri, the bus driver who sustained minor injuries, explained that they had departed Namugongo at 4 a.m. and were nearing the border when the truck clipped the bus. “I had been driving cautiously since we left the shrine. But as we approached this point, a truck sped from behind and clipped us as I was trying to give way due to the narrow road. The impact forced us off the road,” Theuri said.
Tororo District Traffic Officer Aisat Nandutu confirmed that 35 people were injured, with some suffering critical injuries. Emergency services responded promptly, evacuating the victims to Tororo General Hospital where they are currently receiving treatment.
A signboard to the Tororo District Hospital in Uganda. PHOTO/COURTESY/East News Uganda
Authorities have launched an investigation into the crash and are actively tracing the truck and its driver, who fled the scene.
The crash occurred less than 24 hours after a thwarted bombing incident in Uganda, in which two people lost their lives, highlighting growing concerns over public safety during the busy pilgrimage period.
Written By Rodney Mbua
