BUDAKA, UGANDA: A 17-year-old student of Iki-Iki Secondary School has been confirmed dead and more than 40 others injured after a hired Isuzu Elf truck transporting them to inter-school games overturned along the Mbale–Tirinyi Road.
The fatal crash occurred at around 9:30 am on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at Jami Mailo Nine in Budaka District, involving a white Isuzu Elf truck, registration number UAP 443Z, which had been privately hired to ferry students to Jami Seed Secondary School.
The deceased has been identified as Babirye Linda, a Senior Two student and resident of Kadenghe Village in Iki-Iki Sub-county.
According to police, the vehicle was carrying 12 girls, 26 boys, one cook, and two security personnel at the time of the accident. All injured victims were rushed to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital for treatment.
Wilfred Kyempasa, the Bukedi North Regional Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed that only one fatality had been recorded, dismissing earlier social media reports that suggested multiple deaths.
Police identified the driver as Mutamu Ahamada, who is currently in custody as investigations continue.
Preliminary findings indicate that the driver had used a feeder road to join the main highway when the truck overturned, though the exact cause of the crash remains under investigation.
A team from Budaka Police Station, led by District Traffic Officer Topista Talunga, documented the scene, and the vehicle has since been towed to Budaka Police Yard pending inspection by the Inspector of Vehicles.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether factors such as overloading or mechanical failure contributed to the accident. However, the incident has once again raised serious concerns about the safety of students transported in hired vehicles, particularly during school sports seasons.
Road safety experts and police have repeatedly warned schools against using unsuitable vehicles such as trucks to ferry students, citing increased risks of fatal crashes.
Parents have also been urged to caution children against boarding overloaded or unsafe transport, as schools continue to rely on improvised means to facilitate extracurricular travel.
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