Bloody!! Maracha NRM Chairperson Killed By District Ambulance 

By Swift Reporter

Grief has gripped residents of Ovujo Town Council and members of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in Maracha District following the tragic death of their newly elected party chairperson, Charles Adiga Lwanga, who was knocked dead by a district ambulance responding to an emergency.

The fatal crash occurred at around 7:40 p.m. on Monday at Ovujo Trading Centre along the busy Arua–Koboko Highway, cutting short the life of a man remembered as a dedicated teacher, community leader and party mobiliser.

According to police, Adiga, who also taught at Koyi Primary School, was walking by the roadside when an ambulance belonging to Maracha District Local Government, registration number UG 3100268, struck him from behind.

The ambulance had reportedly been dispatched from Eliofe Health Centre III to transfer a pregnant woman to Maracha Hospital for emergency medical care.

Preliminary police investigations indicate that the driver, Michael Chandia, attempted to avoid a stationary vehicle but lost control and veered off the road, hitting Adiga.

He sustained severe injuries, including a broken neck, fractured spine and a broken left arm, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police confirmed that neither the ambulance driver nor the expectant mother being transported was injured in the crash.

Ovujo Town Council LCIII Chairperson Philliam Buatre Thaddeus, who witnessed the incident, described the accident as heartbreaking and urged motorists and other road users to observe traffic rules and exercise greater caution, particularly along the busy highway.

“This is a tragic loss to our community. We all have a responsibility to be disciplined on the road to prevent such avoidable deaths,” he said.

Maracha District Vice Chairperson Bosco Asea paid tribute to Adiga, describing him as a committed NRM leader whose contribution to the party and the district would be greatly missed.

“He was an active mobiliser and a dedicated leader who worked tirelessly for the party and his community. His death is a huge loss to all of us,” Asea said.

Adiga’s close friend, Dickson Drapari Nyomia, the councillor representing Kijomoro Sub-county, said the deceased’s passing comes at a particularly difficult time as the NRM intensifies grassroots mobilisation ahead of the ongoing Local Council elections.

“He was playing a key role in mobilising supporters. His absence will certainly leave a gap in our activities,” Nyomia said.

Police have since detained the ambulance driver at Maracha Central Police Station to assist with ongoing investigations into the crash.

Meanwhile, Adiga’s body was taken to Maracha Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem examination.

The tragedy has once again drawn attention to road safety along the Arua–Koboko Highway, which police say remains one of the region’s accident-prone roads.

According to regional police statistics, the highway records an average of 10 road crashes every month, with reckless driving among the leading causes of accidents.

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash is ongoing.