By Bicholin K Musisi;

At least 63 people died in a pre-dawn crash involving two passenger buses and two other vehicles along Uganda’s busy Kampala–Gulu Highway, marking one of the country’s worst road tragedies in recent memory.

The fatal crash occurred at 12:15am on Wednesday at Kitaleba Village, near Asili Farm in Kyankwanzi District. 

According to the Uganda Police Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety, the vehicles involved included a Nile Star Coaches bus (registration number UBF 614X), a Tata Lorry (UBK 647C), a Toyota Surf (CGO 5132AB), and an Isuzu bus belonging to Planet Bus Company (UAM 045V).

“According to our preliminary investigations, the Nile Star bus from Kampala attempted to overtake a Tata lorry at the same time that the Planet bus, coming from the opposite direction, was also overtaking a Toyota Surf,” said SP Michael Kananura, the police spokesperson for Traffic and Road Safety on Wednesday morning. 

“Unfortunately, both buses met head-on. One of the drivers tried to swerve, but it was too late. This caused a chain reaction that led to multiple vehicles overturning several times.”

Police say all passengers on both buses died on the spot, while several other occupants from the Toyota Surf and lorry sustained serious injuries. 

The injured were rushed to Kiryandongo Hospital and nearby medical facilities, while the bodies of the deceased were conveyed to the hospital mortuary for postmortem and identification.

The government is yet to issue a formal statement on the tragedy, but police extended sympathies to affected families.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and wish the injured a quick recovery,” Kananura said.

Several MPs and local leaders from Kyankwanzi and Kiryandongo districts have been calling for a review of night bus travel and stricter control of long-distance buses.