KIRYANDONGO. Several passengers are nursing wounds after a Nile Star Bus overturned along the Kampala–Arua highway on Wednesday evening.
The crash happened at Alengo Village, Diima Parish in Mutunda Sub-county, Kiryandongo District.
Eyewitnesses told Newzzone publication that the ill-fated bus, registration number UBG 0196C, overturned at around 5:34 p.m., leaving dozens of occupants injured.
“The driver tried to dodge a speeding boda boda rider who was coming from Karuma direction,” said one of the witnesses. “In the process, the bus lost control and overturned.”
A police officer attached to Kiryandongo Central Police Station, who preferred anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media, confirmed the incident, noting that no fatalities had been recorded by press time .
“Fortunately, no death has been registered, but several passengers sustained injuries. They were swiftly taken to nearby clinics and health centres for first aid and treatment,” the officer said.
He added that preliminary investigations point to reckless driving and sudden obstruction by a boda boda rider as the likely cause of the crash.
The officer also issued a stern warning to road users, particularly boda boda riders, over reckless overtaking along highways that continues to cause road carnage. “We are approaching the festive season, and many people are travelling. We advise motorists and cyclists to exercise maximum caution, especially as children are reporting back home for holidays,” he cautioned.
Kiryandongo remains one of Uganda’s most accident-prone districts, often recording fatal road crashes along the Kampala–Gulu–Arua highway. A few weeks ago, the district registered a deadly motor crash that claimed over 40 lives, prompting police to increase patrols and road checks in the area.
Road safety experts have repeatedly cited speeding, fatigue, and poor overtaking as major causes of the rising number of highway accidents, especially involving buses and long-distance trucks.