By Swift Reporter
Several students were injured on Friday evening after a coaster carrying learners from an educational trip collided with a sugarcane truck in Kamuli District, just hours after the government announced sweeping school transport safety measures following the deadly Kapchorwa bus tragedy.
The accident occurred on July 17, 2026, at Busota Trading Centre, near Busota Health Centre III, along the Kamuli route.
According to preliminary reports, the coaster was transporting students from Nalango Secondary School, who were returning from an educational trip in Jinja when the collision occurred.
No fatalities had been confirmed by the time of publication.
Several learners sustained injuries, with some suffering fractures while others were reported to be in critical condition.
Emergency medical teams from Kamuli District, supported by local residents, responded swiftly and rushed the injured students to Kamuli General Hospital and other nearby health facilities for treatment.
The exact cause of the crash had not yet been established. Police are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision, including whether speeding, dangerous overtaking, mechanical failure or other factors may have contributed to the accident.
The incident came only hours after the government suspended all school trips involving road transport and unveiled a raft of new safety measures aimed at protecting learners.
The directives were announced in the wake of the recent Kapchorwa school bus tragedy, which claimed the lives of pupils and teachers from King David Junior School, Ndejje.
Under the new measures, schools will be required to subject vehicles to mandatory inspections before every trip, ensure drivers are cleared to transport learners, obtain approval from District Education Officers before undertaking educational journeys, and comply with stricter school transport safety standards.
Friday’s crash has renewed concerns over the safety of school transport, particularly along roads in the Busoga sub-region that are heavily used by sugarcane trucks.
Kamuli District has witnessed several serious road accidents involving sugarcane trucks in recent months, prompting repeated warnings from traffic police against reckless driving, overloading and poor vehicle maintenance.
By the time of publication, police had not issued an official statement confirming the number of injured students or the cause of the crash, as investigations remained ongoing.
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