By Swift Reporter
A school geography study tour turned tragic on Tuesday morning after a bus carrying students from St. Paul Secondary School in Katakwi District crashed into a stationary trailer along the Mbale–Iganga Highway in Bugweri District, killing the driver and leaving 15 others injured.
The fatal crash occurred at around 4:45 a.m. at Nawangisa Village and involved an Isuzu bus, registration number UA 551ED, owned by Amuria High School, and a stationary Mercedes-Benz Actros trailer, registration number UBB 269V.
Police identified the deceased as Kasakya Abdallah, 68, the driver of the bus, who died instantly after the vehicle rammed into the rear of the parked trailer.
According to Busoga East Regional Police spokesperson ASP Michael Kasadha, the bus was transporting 73 students from St. Paul Secondary School, Katakwi, to Kasenyi Landing Site in Entebbe for a geography study tour when the crash occurred.
“The bus was travelling from Mbale carrying 73 students to Kasenyi Landing Site in Entebbe for a geography tour. Upon reaching Nawangisa Village, it collided with a stationary trailer from the rear,” Kasadha said.
The crash left 15 people injured, including 13 students, a teacher identified as Oluga George, and the bus conductor, whose identity had not yet been established.
The injured students were identified as Iraat Joseph, Obweikal Emmanuel, Emodit Simon, Aanyu Samuel, Okurut Silver, Oila Samuel, Okot Timothy, Ocen John Mark, Opio Samuel Martin, Ingirot John Martin, Oumo Jeremiah, Alibet Isaac, and Nyasurura Perez, all of whom sustained injuries of varying severity.
Emergency responders rushed the victims to Iganga General Hospital for treatment, while the body of the deceased driver was taken to Iganga Hospital Mortuary for postmortem examination.
A team of traffic officers led by the Regional Traffic Officer documented the scene, and both the bus and the trailer were towed to Busembatya Police Station, where they remain pending mechanical inspection.
The accident comes less than a week after another school transport tragedy in Mukono District, where a passenger train collided with a bus carrying students of Mwebaze High School to Jinja for an educational trip. The collision claimed the life of a teacher and injured several students after the bus reportedly entered a railway crossing as a train approached.
The two incidents have reignited concerns over the safety of school transport, particularly during educational excursions.
Uganda continues to grapple with a high number of road crashes. According to the Uganda Police Force’s 2025 Annual Crime Report, the country recorded 26,044 road traffic crashes in 2025, an increase from 25,107 recorded in 2024. The crashes claimed 5,383 lives, with 4,602 classified as fatal crashes, highlighting the persistent road safety challenge despite ongoing enforcement efforts.
Police have extended condolences to the family of the deceased driver and wished the injured a speedy recovery, while urging motorists to exercise greater caution, obey traffic regulations, and remain vigilant to prevent similar tragedies on the country’s roads.
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