Police in Rukiga District have ruled overspeeding as the cause of the fatal road crash involving a Trinity bus along the Kabale–Mbarara highway on Monday morning.

The bus, registration number RAT 597K, was traveling from Kigali, Rwanda, to Kampala when it crashed killing three people, leaving four others injured.

According to preliminary police reports, the accident occurred on December 15th, 2025, at around 2:30 a.m. at Bukinda–Kakatunda along the Kabale–Mbarara highway.

The Kigezi Region Police Spokesperson, Elly Maate confirmed the incident. He revealed the driver lost control while negotiating a slope, causing the bus to veer off the road into a water trench before sliding into a deeper trench.

“As passengers tried to escape, the door broke, and three male passengers were crushed instantly,” Maate said.

The deceased were identified as Lubwama John Herbert (26), a resident of Kanyanya village in Wakiso district, Habineza Alfred (30), and Gadaffi, both Rwandan nationals who were working as bus conductors.

The injured include the driver, Ananias (44), a resident of Rwamagana district in Rwanda, and three adult female passengers whose identities had not yet been confirmed.

Maate added that the casualties were taken for medical treatment.

The scene was visited by Regional Police Commander Commander (RPC), Kigezi Region, SSP Wabwire Alex, Regional Traffic Officer SP Mahad Juma, and traffic officers led by ASP Rubango J. Bosco.

The wreckage was towed to Rukiga Central Police Station pending inspection by the Inspector of Vehicles.

The National Police Data show over 5,100 people died in road traffic crashes in 2024, with careless overtaking and speeding contributing to nearly 45% of documented accidents on busy highways, underscoring persistent safety challenges across the country.