Two Dead, 8 Injured As Truck Rams Into Bodabodas At Kawaala Junction

January 28, 2024

In a horrifying incident at Kawaala junction in Nabweru, Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District, two lives were tragically cut short, and eight individuals suffered serious injuries when a Fuso truck collided with boda bodas and pedestrians. The crash occurred on Sunday at approximately 12:40 pm, sending shockwaves through the local community.

The traffic police spokesperson, SP Michael Kananura, provided details on the incident, stating, “The crash involved Motor vehicle No. UAQ 539E Mitsubishi Fuso & Motorcycles No. UFS 111, UEP 598K, and UFU 872P (all Bajaj Boxers).” The identities of the deceased were not immediately available, but police identified them as a motorcycle rider and a passenger.

The injured victims were promptly rushed to Mulago National Referral Hospital to receive urgent medical attention. Preliminary reports suggest that the driver of the Fuso truck, en route from Kazo, failed to brake while descending into the junction, resulting in a collision with the motorcycles.

“The bodies have been conveyed to Mulago mortuary for postmortem. Both the motor vehicle and motorcycles have been towed to Nabweru Police Station pending inspection. Investigations into the cause are underway,” added SP Kananura.

Authorities are currently searching for the truck driver, who fled the scene after the collision. Road accidents are unfortunately common in Uganda, with the police often attributing them to human error as the primary cause.

On a global scale, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports a staggering annual death toll of 7,315 due to road crashes in Uganda, nearly twice the figures reported to the police (4,159 in 2022). The police’s annual traffic and crime report for 2021 indicated that 81% of crash-related deaths were males and 19% females. However, WHO presents different figures, noting that 95% of crash-related deaths are males and 5% females.

A 2022 report by Dr. Charles Ayume, the Koboko Municipality MP and chairperson of the Health Committee in Parliament, revealed that the burden of treating road crash victims in government regional referral hospitals across the country amounts to a daily cost of Shs236.3 million. The government allocates Shs86.2 billion annually for such treatments, reflecting a significant portion of the national health budget. Dr. Ayume emphasized the considerable health, social, and economic costs associated with injuries caused by road accidents.