Kampala, Uganda: The State Minister for Works and Transport, Mr Fred Byamukama, has suspended operations of YY Coaches across Uganda for 15 days, following a spate of accidents attributed to reckless driving and safety violations.
The suspension which takes effect Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 7:00 PM, comes against the backdrop of two major road crashes involving YY buses in the last two weeks, one of which was fatal.
“We are suspending the operations of YY buses in Uganda for a period of 15 days starting today at 7 pm,” Minister Byamukama told journalist at a press briefing on Tuesday, May 13, 2025. He added, “This decision follows two reported accidents, including a fatal one on Katusi Road, where four people lost their lives. The driver is currently on the run.”
One of the fatalities in the Buikwe incident, Canon Jimmy Musimbi a former District Service Commissioner of Manafwa, remains unaccounted for with despite his car and identity documents found at the scene.
The second incident, involving another YY bus of Registration number UAX 852Fm occurred over the weekend at Ayako village near Karuma. Although no lives were lost, several passengers sustained serious injuries, pleriminary investigations found overspeeding to be the main cause of both accidents.
“In the Katusi crash, the driver lost control while at high speed, swerved onto a road shoulder, overturned, and the bus caught fire. Lives were lost and property worth millions destroyed,” Byamukama said.
The Ministry also suspects the bus was carrying flammable liquids, possibly waragi, which could have contributed to the fire. “We are investigating reports that the bus was transporting banned liquids,” he added.
During the 15-day suspension, YY Coaches has been instructed to; present all drivers for testing and verification, submit buses for mechanical inspection, provide driver appointment letters for cross-checking against accredited records and present proof of pressure training programs for all drivers.
“We expect them to bring all their drivers’ passes for inspection, appointment letters, and schedules,” the Minister said, adding that “These are mandatory requirements that must be met before we consider lifting the suspension.”
The inspection, according to the Minister, will be led by a joint team from the Ministry of Transport, Uganda Police, and the Directorate of Traffic, who will also look into the owners of these bus companies for further scrutiny.
“The owners of these bus companies don’t seem to mind when their drivers cause accidents,” he said. “They simply replace them with new drivers without taking responsibility for the accidents. This is unacceptable, and we must take action to prevent such incidents in the future.”
YY Coaches, owned and run by YY Coaches and Courier Service, operate widely across eastern, northern, and northwestern Uganda, with buses running from Kampala to Arua, Yumbe, Gulu, Kitgum, Lira, Moroto, Kaabong, Mbale, Soroti, Busia, Malaba, and Kotido.
The company also serves cross-border destinations such as Nimule and Juba in South Sudan, while it is particularly dominant on the Arua and Karamoja corridors and is known for transporting both passengers and cargo, often through night and early-morning journeys.
The suspension, which runs until 28th May, is expected to affect several major long-distance routes.
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