Kapchorwa accident: Bodies remain unclaimed at Mulago; police considers escorting all school trip buses

Police say some victims of the Kapchorwa school bus crash remain unclaimed at Mulago as the government considers escorting buses carrying pupils on educational trips.

Some victims' bodies remain unclaimed at Mulago City Mortuary.

The suspension of all school trips remains in force.

Police will present a proposal to escort school trip buses to a government-appointed multi-agency committee.

Uganda Police has revealed that some victims of last week's fatal school bus crash in Kapchorwa remain unclaimed at Mulago City Mortuary

All bodies, the police says, have been brought back to Kampala although some of them had not been claimed by their families by Monday morning.

"All the bodies that have not been claimed yet have been brought back to Kampala and remain at City Mortuary at Mulago," Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner of Police Rusoke Kituuma said on Monday.

He added that police were still establishing how many bodies remained unclaimed

"For now I do not have the exact number of bodies that have not been claimed because the process of collecting them is still ongoing. Our mortician will give us an update," he said.

The accident involved a bus carrying pupils and teachers of Kings David Junior School, Ndejje, who were returning from an educational tour in Kapchorwa.

The tragedy prompted the government to suspend all school trips across the country as investigations continue. Kituuma also dismissed speculation that the driver had survived the crash.

"I wish to confirm a total of 24 lives were lost in that accident. There were also questions about whether the bus driver escaped, but I can confirm that he was among those who lost their lives," he said.

The police spokesperson also urged schools to comply with the government's suspension of educational trips while investigations into the accident continue.

"For now the suspension of all school trips remains and we advise schools to heed to the directive," he said.

Kituuma also disclosed that police are considering proposals to strengthen the safety of school travel, including deploying escort vehicles for buses carrying learners.

This suggestion, he said, was still being considered.

He noted that the proposal would first be considered by the multi-agency committee established by the government after the crash.

"For now there is an inter-agency committee that has been instituted to look into the matter. We think that is a good proposal and we shall table it before the committee," Kituuma said.

The committee, comprising security agencies and relevant government ministries, is investigating the cause of the Kapchorwa crash and reviewing measures to improve the safety of school transport.