Breaking: 1 Dead, 17 Students Injured in Gulu SS Bus Crash

bus belonging to Gulu Secondary School carrying students for a tour to Jinja crashed Tuesday morning in Kigumba after the driver reportedly attempted a dangerous overtake, renewing calls for stricter enforcement of safety rules on Uganda’s roads.

According to Traffic Police spokesperson SP Michael Kananura, the crash occurred at about 5:44am when the bus collided head on with an oncoming Fuso truck.

“The bus conductor died on the spot, while 17 students sustained injuries,” Kananura said.

Police said two students were critically injured while 15 suffered minor injuries and were admitted to Kiryandongo Hospital.

The crash adds to mounting concern over reckless overtaking and speeding on Uganda’s highways, particularly involving buses and cargo vehicles.

Uganda recorded 26,044 crashes in 2025, up from 25,107 in 2024, with more than 5,300 deaths, according to police data.

More than 40% of crashes were linked to reckless driving, including speeding and dangerous overtaking.

Road safety advocates say the latest accident underscores the urgent need to restore the Electronic Penalty System, EPS, which uses cameras and automated number plate recognition to detect violations in real time.

Uganda has fewer than 2,000 traffic officers policing a rapidly growing vehicle population.

Drivers often slow at checkpoints before resuming risky behaviour once past them.

Government suspended EPS last year following public backlash over fines and implementation gaps, but officials have since said a revised rollout is being prepared.