Kampala, (UG):- Social media in Uganda is abuzz with tribute and eulogies pouring in after the saddening demise of socialites Sherry Siima Kaitesi and Sharon Kansiime who perished in a road accident in Namasuba along Entebbe Highway on Saturday night.
Police were as of Sunday evening still investigating the cause of the accident, but first responders at the scene had released gruesome pictures and videos of the nasty road crash.
One of the pictures showed two lifeless bodies of the deceased socialites stuck in the mangled Mercedes Benz after the fatal crash.
“Let’s avoid overspeeding,” said TikToker, Promota Mickey, who was among the first people to arrive at the scene. “The two ladies are no more,” he added.
Kaitesi and Kansiime had built a strong relationship from their days at Uganda Christian University (UCU). They would continue doing business and spending time together and was also known among their peers as fashionistas.
On X, Bushenyi Buoy noted: “An accident tragically took away these two beautiful souls. Rest in peace, dear ones.”
Road accidents in Uganda have been on the rise in recent years, showing 12 to 13 people die daily on the country’s roads.
Lawrence Niwabiine, Acting Director of Traffic Police, recently revealed that 4,806 Ugandans were killed in road crashes in 2023, marking an appalling increase from the 4,534 deaths recorded in the previous year.
Traffic data also shows private vehicles were mostly involved in road crashes in 2023 at 2,0210, unknown vehicles were 1,254, foreign registered vehicles were 846, central government vehicles were 255, NGO vehicles were 147, police vehicles were 91, army vehicles were 76 and 11 prisons vehicles.
“Majority of the traffic offences were about driving vehicles in dangerous mechanical conditions and they increased from 92,029 in 2022 to 99,068 in 2023. Obstruction on a road by loading or offloading increased from 20,063 in 2022 to 95,676 in 2023,” Niwabiine said.
The Principal Road Safety Officer, Ministry of Works and Transport, Ronald Amanyire recently said Uganda had a chance to avoid road crashes caused by vehicles in dangerous mechanical condition (DMC).
His remarks come just hours after a truck belonging to Seyani Brothers construction firm fell on a saloon car at Nkumba traffic lights along Entebbe highway, killing youthful city lawyer, Raphael Okiot.
Amanyire said the motor vehicle inspection project which was aimed at regularly checking the roadworthiness of trucks was fought by internal saboteurs and lawmakers.
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