YY Coaches Faces 30-Day Suspension After Fatal Buikwe Crash

The Ministry of Transport has warned that YY Coaches could face a 30-day suspension if investigations confirm that the company’s driver was at fault in the deadly bus crash that occurred along Katosi Road in Buikwe District.

The crash, which happened in Makindu village, left three people dead and several others injured after the bus, reportedly carrying over 30 passengers, overturned and burst into flames.

Most of the passengers were teachers returning from interviews at Kololo Secondary School.

Speaking to journalists, State Minister for Transport Fred Byamukama said experts had been dispatched to establish the cause of the accident.

“If it is ascertained through investigations, then YY will be banned for 30 days and after that, a review will be conducted,” he said.

On the ground in Makindu, residents remained in shock as traffic police from Lugazi combed the wreckage for evidence.

Locals blamed the crash on the poor condition of the road, which is narrow, dusty, and riddled with potholes.

They urged the government to expedite the roadworks.

Minister Byamukama acknowledged the complaints, linking the road’s deterioration to corruption at weighbridges.

“We have evidence that some weighbridge staff extort money from truck drivers to allow them to carry excess loads. This contributes to road damage and potholes,” he said.

Survivors of the crash recounted harrowing scenes as the bus caught fire. One survivor said passengers who managed to escape returned to help their trapped colleagues.

“The residents didn’t help much, so those of us who got out went back to try and save our colleagues,” the survivor recalled.

Umar Kakayire, chairperson of the Bus Drivers Advocacy Forum, said preliminary reports suggest the driver was attempting to avoid a boda boda rider carrying jerry cans of fuel.

“In trying to save the boda boda rider, the bus overturned and the fire is believed to have been caused by the fuel the rider was carrying,” said Kakayire.

Sezibwa region police spokesperson Hellen Butoto confirmed that three people died and several were rushed to various hospitals, including St. Charles Lwanga Hospital in Buikwe and Kawolo Hospital.

At St Charles Lwanga Hospital, spokesperson Daisy Nakungu said they had received 15 patients, though some were later transferred by their families to facilities in Kampala.

“Currently we have eight patients from the number we received. Many have been transferred to other hospitals,” she said.

Efforts to obtain a comment from YY Coaches management were unsuccessful, as the company declined to speak to the press.

As investigations continue, the spotlight remains on both road safety enforcement and the conditions of Uganda’s transport infrastructure.

The crash, which happened in Makindu village, left three people dead and several others injured after the bus, reportedly carrying over 30 passengers, overturned and burst into flames.