Police investigations and eyewitness reports indicate that the crash began when the Isuzu bus bearing registration UBF 614X (operated by Nile Star Coaches), travelling from Kampala towards Gulu, attempted to overtake a Tata lorry (UBK 647C). At the same time, an Isuzu bus UAM 045V (Planet Company), travelling in the opposite direction, was overtaking a Toyota Surf (CGO 5132AB 07). The two buses collided head-on during the simultaneous overtaking manoeuvres. The impact triggered a chain reaction as other vehicles lost control and overturned multiple times.
In a subsequent press statement at 10:00 am, the Uganda Police clarified that the number of deaths is 46, correcting its 8:00 am report of 63 dead and several others injured. The update explains that some people were unconscious at the time of the incident, while earlier reports from locals and social media had suggested about 63 deaths.
Witnesses and relatives told local radio stations and social platforms that the scene was chaotic. Emergency teams rushed victims to Kiryandongo Hospital and nearby medical facilities, while bodies were taken to the hospital mortuary for identification and post-mortem examinations. Authorities say their investigation will examine driver behaviour, vehicle fitness, company compliance, and road signage.
This crash comes less than 15 months after the 9 August 2024 Kiteezi landfill disaster on the outskirts of Kampala, when heavy rains and unstable refuse slopes caused a landslide that buried homes near the dump, claiming over 35 lives.
This latest tragedy, which has claimed dozens of lives in a single incident, has yet to trigger national debate, public grief, and renewed questions among stakeholders, road users, and, as is often the case in Uganda, the government, much like the Kiteezi disaster did.
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