Manafwa, Uganda: Five people, including a six-month-old baby, were killed instantly after a speeding taxi rammed into a boda boda motorcycle along the Manafwa–Lwakhakha road in a horrific night crash that has once again exposed the dangers on Uganda’s highways.
The fatal accident occurred on Friday, April 10, 2026, at around 8:00 pm in Bumakheti Village, Butiru Town Council, when a Toyota Hiace taxi, registration UBG 919Z, collided with a Bajaj Boxer motorcycle (KMGL 195Y) carrying five people.
Police said the taxi, which was reportedly heading towards the Lwakhakha border from Manafwa, knocked down the motorcycle, killing all its occupants on the spot.
The deceased have been identified as Wakimwanyi John Bosco, 24, the rider; Wanditi Exovel, 22; Kutosi Ivan, 25; Nanyama Sephia; and her six-month-old baby, Nambuya Trinah. All the victims were residents of Bududa and Namisindwa districts.
Elgon Regional Police Spokesperson Rogers Taitika confirmed the incident, noting that the driver of the taxi fled immediately after the crash and is currently on the run.
“It’s alleged that the motor vehicle… collided with the motorcycle carrying passengers. All died on the spot,” Taitika said, adding that police have since launched a manhunt for the driver as investigations into the crash continue.
A team of officers led by ASP Okello visited the scene, documented evidence, and transported the bodies to Mbale City Mortuary for postmortem examination.
The motorcycle was impounded at Manafwa Central Police Station, while the taxi was towed to Butiru Police Station for inspection by the Inspector of Vehicles.
The tragedy adds to the growing number of fatal road crashes in Uganda, particularly involving motorcycles and passenger vehicles on busy district roads.
According to the Police Annual Crime Report of 2025, police registered a total of 322,441 cases of road accidents compared to 426,432 in 2024, marking a 24.4 percent decrease.
The Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety registered 26,044 crashes, including 4,602 fatal, 13,563 serious, and 7,879 minor crashes.
However, road traffic crashes increased in 2025 by 3.7 percent compared to 2024. Fatal crashes rose by 3.8 percent from 4,434 to 4,602, serious crashes increased by 3.3 percent from 13,134 to 13,563, while minor crashes went up by 4.5 percent from 7,539 to 7,879.
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