The Executive Vice Chairperson of the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) party, Lulume Bayiga, has warned school administrations against turning school tours into money-making ventures, which expose learners to potential risks.
According to Lulume, some school managers are risking the lives of learners by hiring vehicles in poor mechanical condition to transport them because they want to save administration part of the balance for personal gain, adding that they are being driven by greed to organize field trips.
“We appreciate the practicality of the new curriculum and the need for our children to go to various areas of this country; however, we recognize that this policy is subject to abuse because some school administrations have taken it to themselves simply to make it a money-making venture rather than a field to enable children to integrate the theory they study in class in real life,” Lulume said.
While addressing journalists on Monday, July 20th, 2026, at the party headquarters on Katonga Road, Lulume added that the school administration involves many children, including those in lower classes, which causes congestion in the vehicles, putting them at risk.
“Some schools charge parents a lot on top of the principal money for school fees. They make these trips mandatory, and some children fear missing them because they think they are losing a lot, yet some of these field trips are turned into money-making ventures,” Lulume added.
Lulume’s concern follows the recent accidents that have happened in different parts of Uganda involving students from both secondary and primary schools.
According to police, the most recent tragic accidents include the King David Junior School Bus Crash on July 16th, 2026, a tragic crash that occurred near Kaserem in the Kapchorwa district as primary school pupils returned from a field trip to Sipi Falls.
Police confirmed the death toll reached 24 fatalities (22 students and 2 adults, including the school founder) after the bus lost control, struck a large rock, and overturned. Other 23 students were hospitalized with severe injuries.
Other accidents include the Mwebaze High School Bus Incident (July 2026), where a bus hired by the school for an educational trip failed to stop at a level crossing on Katosi Road in Mukono district and was struck by a passenger train. The accident resulted in the death of one woman and left multiple students injured.
