Uganda mourns after deadly school bus crash

Uganda is reeling from one of its worst child‑related road disasters in recent years after a school bus carrying pupils on a study trip overturned in the country’s east, killing at least 20 children and one adult.

The accident happened Thursday evening on Chekwatit Hill in Kapchorwa, a notorious stretch of road long associated with fatal crashes. Police say the bus veered off the road after a mechanical fault, struck a roadside boulder, and rolled over.

Among the dead was Mr. Tadeo Ssekade, founder and director of King David Junior School in Ndejje, whose pupils were returning from a tour of Sipi Falls. “Sadly, 20 children and 1 adult, who happens to be the founder and director, Mr Tadeo Ssekade, have gone to be with the Lord,” Local Government Minister Balaam Ateenyi Barugahara posted on X while at the crash site.

Videos shared online showed the mangled bus as residents rushed to pull survivors from the wreckage. Dozens of children and staff were injured, many rushed to nearby hospitals.

Uganda’s traffic authorities say thousands die on its roads each year, citing speeding, poor vehicle maintenance, and dangerous terrain as persistent threats. The Kapchorwa crash has intensified scrutiny of school transport safety, coming just weeks after other serious bus accidents raised alarm nationwide.

For families of King David Junior School, the study trip meant to inspire young minds has ended in grief. For Uganda, the tragedy underscores a broader crisis: unsafe roads that continue to claim lives, even of its youngest citizens.

Source: myjoyonline.com