Kiryandongo, Uganda — Uganda is once again grappling with renewed road safety concerns following a devastating multi-vehicle collision in Kiryandongo District that claimed 46 lives and left several others injured along the Kampala–Gulu highway early Wednesday morning.
According to police, the crash occurred around 12:15 a.m. and involved four vehicles two passenger buses, a lorry, and a smaller car. Preliminary findings suggest one of the buses, en route to Gulu, was attempting to overtake a lorry when it collided head-on with an oncoming bus, sparking a chain reaction that left the scene in chaos.
Initial reports estimated 63 fatalities, but the number was later revised to 46 after authorities confirmed that several unconscious victims had been mistakenly included among the dead.
President Yoweri Museveni extended condolences to the bereaved families via his X handle, pledging five million Ugandan shillings to each family of the deceased and one million to those injured. “I urge all motorists to exercise caution and discipline on our roads to prevent such tragedies,” he said.
The Ministry of Works and Transport has dispatched a team to assist in investigations and promised a full report on the “devastating crash,” while the Uganda Red Cross mobilized emergency teams and ambulances to transfer survivors to nearby hospitals, including Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala.
The accident has reignited debate over Uganda’s worsening road safety record. Police data show road crash casualties rose to 25,808 in 2024, up from 24,728 the previous year, with reckless overtaking and speeding cited as leading causes. Despite frequent enforcement operations and suspensions of negligent bus operators, fatal crashes continue to plague the country’s highways.