The police have reiterated their call against reckless driving and advised drivers to respect the traffic rules to avoid accidents. This follows a fatal accident that occurred in the wee hours of Sunday, September 1, 2024, which claimed the lives of eight people and injured 40 along the Kampala-Masaka highway.
ASP Twaha Kasirye, the Greater Masaka police spokesperson, confirmed that four men and women died in the accident, including Teopista Amaali, aged 39 years; Edrine Tushabwomwe, a 35-year-old resident of Entebbe, Acham; Moses Awanyi Okello, a teacher from Rwanda; Mark Munyanda Musa, 53; Evelyn Natukunda, 31, from Kyengera; Winnie Akaliza, aged 28, and Stephen Kainamula, a 51-year-old Rwandan national.
He further noted how the police have always cautioned drivers against bad and reckless driving, which the drivers ignore.
’’It is so sad that we have lost eight innocent lives due to reckless and bad driving despite several warnings issued to these bus drivers; however, we are going to look into this issue further with the traffic department,’’ Kasirye revealed.
The accident that occurred in Kabale-Bugonzi village was a head-on collision involving a Jaguar bus registration number UBP 964T that was coming from Kampala and heading to Kigali with a canter truck registration number UAV 988N that was driving from Masaka.
Read Also: Fatal Accident Claims Eight Lives on Kampala-Masaka Highway
According to the survivors from the Jaguar bus, the driver of the bus was driving at a very high speed and was also overtaking various cars.
“When the bus started rolling several times, I just knew we were all going to die, and when it reached down the valley, the screams of the people went mute,’’ said one Ainebyona, a survivor from the bus.
The Kampala-Masaka road has been considered the scene of several crashes in recent years, with poor driving practices and disregard for traffic regulations contributing to the high number of fatalities.
As the community mourns the tragic loss of life, authorities are urging all road users to exercise caution, respect traffic rules, and prioritize safety to prevent such devastating incidents from occurring in the future.
