By Joseph Kiggundu
BUGWERI.At least one person is confirmed to have died and 15 others injured after a school bus carrying students on a geography study tour rammed into a stationary trailer along the Mbale–Iganga Highway in Bugweri District .
The crash occurred at about 4:45 a.m. in Nawangisa Village and involved an Isuzu bus, registration UA 551ED, owned by Amuria High School, and a stationary Mercedes-Benz Actros trailer, registration UBB 269V.
Police identified the deceased as Kasakya Abdallah, 68, who was driving the bus.
According to police, the bus was transporting 73 students from St. Paul Secondary School, Katakwi, to Kasenyi Landing Site in Entebbe for a geography study tour when it struck the rear of the parked trailer.
The injured included 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 (Senior Three), Obweikal Emmanuel (Senior Three), Emodit Simon (Senior Three), Aanyu Samuel (Senior Three), Okurut Silver (Senior Three), Oila Samuel (Senior Three), Okot Timothy (Senior Three), Ocen John Mark (Senior Three), Opio Samuel Martin (Senior Four), Ingirot John Martin (Senior Four), Oumo Jeremiah (Senior Four), Alibet Isaac (Senior Four), and Nyasurura Perez (Senior Four).
“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,” ASP Michael Kasadha, the Busoga East Regional Police spokesperson, said in a statement.
He said the driver died at the scene while the injured were rushed to Iganga General Hospital for treatment.
“A team of traffic officers led by the Regional Traffic Officer visited the scene. The deceased’s body was taken to Iganga Hospital mortuary, while both vehicles were towed to Busembatya Police Station pending inspection. Investigations into the crash are ongoing,” Kasadha said.
Police said the Isuzu bus and the Mercedes-Benz Actros trailer remain at Busembatya Police Station pending inspection as investigations continue.
The crash comes just days after another serious accident involving a school bus. Last week, a passenger train collided with a bus carrying students of Mwebaze High School, Kakiri, to Jinja for an educational trip at a railway crossing in Namumira-Bukasa Village, Mukono District. The collision killed a teacher and left several students injured after the bus reportedly entered the railway crossing as a train approached, according to police.
The two incidents have renewed concerns over road safety involving school transport. According to the Uganda Police Force’s 2025 Annual Crime Report, the country recorded 26,044 road crashes in 2025, up from 25,107 in 2024. The crashes claimed 5,383 lives, while 4,602 were classified as fatal crashes, underscoring the continuing challenge of road safety despite ongoing enforcement efforts.
Police have urged motorists to exercise caution and adhere to traffic regulations to help prevent similar tragedies.