Pallisa, Uganda: Two primary one pupils of Kadesok Primary School in Pallisa District died on the spot after being knocked by a speeding hit-and-run vehicle on Thursday afternoon along a road in Opwateta Sub-county.
The victims have been identified as Betty Amoding, 8, and Anna Achom, 7, both pupils of Kadesok Primary School.
According to Bukedi North Police spokesperson Wilfred Kyempasa, the fatal accident occurred at 12:50 pm at Okutai Village, a time when pupils break for lunch, and those in lower primary often walk home.
Kyempasa said preliminary police records at the Traffic Department of Pallisa Central Police Station indicate that the unidentified vehicle was travelling from Kumi towards Pallisa when it knocked the pupils.
“The cause of the accident was overspeeding. The vehicle involved fled the scene immediately after the crash,” Kyempasa said.
Police have since registered the incident as a fatal hit-and-run accident and investigations are ongoing to trace the driver and vehicle responsible.
Kyempasa further revealed that the incident is part of a worrying trend of road crashes involving children in the district.
“In this week alone we have lost three juveniles in road accidents. On Monday evening another hit-and-run occurred at Limoto Trading Centre in Boliso I Sub-county,” he said.
In that incident, a speeding car travelling from Pallisa knocked Abdul Wabwire, who was riding a bicycle carrying two passengers. One of the victims, Sauya, aged four years, died in the crash.
Pallisa District Chief Administrative Officer Alex Felix Majeme said he received the news of the pupils’ deaths with shock.
Majeme said the district leadership will formally engage the District Police Commander Patience Namara to develop a programme with traffic and community liaison officers to sensitise pupils about road safety and traffic signs.
“The death of these pupils is going to traumatise others, so there is urgent need to guide pupils, especially those in schools located along highways, on road safety precautions,” Majeme said.
Pallisa Resident District Commissioner Magid Dhikusoka said the district will also push for the installation of traffic monitoring cameras along major highways including Pallisa–Tirinyi, Pallisa–Kamonkoli and Pallisa–Kumi roads.
Dhikusoka noted that more than 15 hit-and-run cases have been recorded in the district but tracing the vehicles involved has remained difficult.
“These cameras will help us identify vehicles responsible for such accidents and strengthen enforcement on our roads,” he said, adding that schools located along highways must also prioritise road safety education for learners.
Police said the vehicle involved in Thursday’s fatal crash had not yet been identified by the time of filing this report.
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