Another Tragedy! Bus Collides With Train In Mukono | Teacher Killed, Dozens Of Students Injured

By Swift Reporter

A teacher was killed and several students injured on Friday morning after a passenger train collided with a school bus carrying students of Mwebaze High School, Kakiri, at the Namumira railway crossing in Mukono District.

The students were travelling to Jinja for an educational study trip when tragedy struck at around 6:45 a.m. at the Namumira–Bukasa railway crossing in Kyetume Parish, Nakisunga Sub-county, along the Katosi Road.

The Friendship Company bus, reportedly carrying more than 70 students and teachers, was crossing the railway line when it was hit by a passenger train travelling from Mukono towards Kampala. The force of the impact overturned the bus, leaving one female teacher dead at the scene and several students with varying degrees of injuries.

Emergency responders, police officers, and residents rushed to the scene to rescue the trapped passengers. However, the number of casualties reportedly overwhelmed available emergency services, forcing first responders to improvise.

Abdul Ssali, one of the first people to arrive at the scene, said critically injured students had to be transported on motorcycles due to a shortage of ambulances.

“All the critically injured students were rushed to hospital on boda bodas because the available ambulances were not enough,” Ssali said.

The injured were taken to Mukono General Referral Hospital and other nearby health facilities, where they are receiving treatment.

Uganda Railways Corporation spokesperson John Lenon Sengendo confirmed the fatal accident, saying preliminary investigations indicate the bus driver failed to observe traffic instructions at the railway crossing.

According to Sengendo, a police officer stationed approximately 200 metres from the crossing had signalled the driver to stop before proceeding, but the instruction was allegedly ignored.

“The train crew repeatedly sounded the horn as it approached the crossing, but the bus continued onto the railway line,” Sengendo said.

He added that after emergency rescue operations were completed, the passenger train resumed its journey to Kampala.

Eyewitness accounts painted a disturbing picture of the moments leading up to the collision.

Joseph Kaweesi, who witnessed the accident, said students were singing inside the bus while loud music was playing as the vehicle approached the crossing.

He believes the driver may have failed to hear the train’s warning horn because of the noise inside the bus.

Other witnesses, however, insisted the train repeatedly sounded its horn to alert approaching motorists, but the bus driver failed to stop before driving onto the railway tracks.

The tragedy has once again exposed long-standing safety concerns at the Namumira railway crossing.

Residents accused authorities of failing to install adequate railway safety infrastructure, including automatic barriers, traffic lights, and proper warning systems that could help prevent similar accidents.

They also faulted DAKS Clearing and Forwarding Company, alleging that trucks frequently park near the crossing, obstructing motorists’ visibility and making it difficult for drivers to spot approaching trains.

Many residents called on government agencies to urgently improve safety measures at the crossing before more lives are lost.

Meanwhile, the Uganda Police Force has launched investigations into the crash.

Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson SP Racheal Kawala confirmed that officers had secured the scene and commenced inquiries to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the collision.

“Police have secured the scene and commenced investigations to establish the exact cause and circumstances surrounding the crash,” Kawala said.

She added that further information would be released as investigations progress and more verified details become available.

The accident marks yet another deadly incident at one of Mukono’s busy railway crossings and has renewed calls for stricter enforcement of railway crossing regulations, improved road safety awareness, and enhanced railway infrastructure to protect motorists and pedestrians.