Six Dead In Masaka Highway Deadly Accident

Six people have been confirmed dead following an accident in Kyazanga, Lwengo District, where a bus traveling from Kisoro to Kampala collided with a lorry transporting maize flour on the Masaka-Mbarara road.

The collision occurred around 4 a.m. when the Gateway bus registration number UBQ 621Z attempted to overtake the Fuso lorry number UBM 673K on a sharp corner, leading into a head on crash.

According to eyewitnesses , the bus driver’s reckless attempt to overtake the lorry on the curve was the primary cause of the accident.

“The bus driver attempted to overtake the lorry, unaware that another lorry was approaching from the opposite direction,” Mustapha Kasole reveals

Witnesses, survivors, and police reports all corroborated that the bus driver, identified as Batambuze Nayi, appeared to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.

Tragically, he was among the six who died instantly at the scene.

“We kept urging him to slow down, but he ignored our warnings until he collided with the lorry,” said Anord Mwesigwa a survivor of the crash.

In the immediate aftermath of the collision, chaos ensued as some opportunists took advantage of the situation, robbing passengers and stealing flour from the lorry.

The situation was further complicated by the initial lack of an immediate emergency response from the police.

Survivors were rushed to  Joy for Humanity Hospital in Kyazanga, where they are currently receiving treatment. Nalukwago Fifi, the in-charge at the hospital, confirmed that over 20 patients, including two Japanese nationals, were admitted and are responding well to treatment.

“We rushed to pick up the victims from the accident scene because the police ambulance was delayed. Thankfully, most of them are now stabilizing,”  Nalukwago Fifi, the in-charge at the hospital said.

This accident is part of a worrying trend on the Masaka-Mbarara road, where the death toll has risen to 10 in the past week alone. Just days before, four lives were lost in another fatal incident when a vehicle, uninvolved in the initial collision, crashed into another car, resulting in severe fatalities.

Twaha Kasirye, spokesperson for the Greater Masaka Police, attributes the rise in accidents on the Masaka road to human errors, particularly the recklessness of drivers, which has led to numerous fatalities.

“We continue to urge drivers not to overspeed or drive under the influence of alcohol and other drugs, but it seems many are ignoring these warnings,” said  Kasirye.

Motorists and residents in Lwengo are calling for stricter penalties for bus drivers, citing increasing carelessness and the growing number of accidents on the region’s roads.

“It feels like these bus drivers think they’re above the law. Even when they cause accidents, if they survive, they’re back behind the wheel in a different bus the next day, without facing any legal or disciplinary action from their companies,” motorists say