Dozens Injured as Baby Coach Bus Overturns in Mubende

Several passengers were injured on Wednesday morning after a bus belonging to Baby Coaches overturned along the Mubende–Fort Portal highway, reportedly due to mechanical failure.

The bus, registration number UBG 869U, was en route to Kasese when it overturned at Buwanga Cell in Mubende Municipality. Eyewitnesses and survivors said the accident occurred after the bus produced a loud noise, believed to have been caused by a snapped drive shaft, leading to loss of control.

“The bus made a strange sound from underneath, and it suddenly veered off. The driver tried hard to stabilise it, but it eventually overturned,” said Atanus Mbusa, one of the survivors.

“Thankfully, it was not speeding.”

Photographs from the scene showed the bus lying on its side, with the damaged shaft clearly visible.

Although no fatalities were reported, several passengers sustained serious injuries and were taken to Mubende Regional Referral Hospital for emergency treatment.

“It’s rare to see such an accident without deaths. We’re really lucky,” said another survivor, Abdul Yafal. “All I can say is thank you, Lord.”

Traffic police cordoned off the area and began efforts to remove the vehicle from the roadside valley where it landed. Investigations into the exact cause of the mechanical failure are ongoing.

The incident adds to growing concerns over the safety and mechanical fitness of long-distance buses in Uganda, especially as many vehicles traverse mountainous terrain on aging infrastructure.

More details will follow as medical reports and police findings are released.