A tragic accident has claimed the life of a 16-year-old student from St Paul Kasooro Secondary School in Kyankwanzi District, with over 100 others sustaining injuries. The deceased student was named James Murarira.
The incident involved a Fuso truck, registration number UBK900A, reportedly carrying 200 students. The driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to overturn in Kasooro Village, Kikandwa Sub County, within Kyankwanzi District.
The students, who survived with various degrees of injuries, were en route to Butemba College in Butemba Town Council in the same district for the 2024 post-primary school football competition.
The truck’s driver, identified as Samuel Mitala, allegedly fled the scene immediately after the accident.
Justus Kakiga Nayisindi, a survivor of the accident, recounted that the truck was moving at a high speed before the driver lost control, causing the vehicle to roll over multiple times.
He expressed his gratitude for surviving the accident but voiced concern for his peers who sustained severe injuries.
Racheal Kawala, the spokesperson for Wamala Regional Police, stated that the traffic team in Kyankwanzi is still compiling information about the accident and will issue a statement once they have all the details.
In September 2000, the government banned the transportation of students in lorries and open trucks following a series of road accidents. The Ministry of Education advised that school children should be transported in buses or vans, and those schools without such vehicles should hire them.
The ministry also prohibited the transportation of students after 8 pm. Despite these directives, some rural schools continue to use lorries and trucks due to lax enforcement of the rules.