Kapchorwa, Uganda: The death toll from the devastating road crash involving pupils of King David Junior School, Ndejje, has risen to 24 after three more pupils succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment.
An update issued Friday evening by the Police’s Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety confirmed that 24 lives have been confirmed to have perished in the crash that occurred at Kaserem along the Kapchorwa–Mbale Road during the school’s educational tour on Thursday.
Traffic Police spokesperson SP Michael Kananura said 18 of the deceased have been positively identified. However, three unidentified bodies remain at Kapchorwa Hospital, while another three bodies are at Mbale Hospital awaiting identification.
Meanwhile, 23 victims remain admitted at Kapchorwa Hospital, where they continue to receive medical treatment.
Police also confirmed that all surviving pupils who did not require hospital admission have safely returned to Kampala aboard a Gateway Bus.
SP Kananura said the driver of the bus involved in the crash has not yet been formally identified, although preliminary information indicates he sustained critical injuries and is believed to be among the patients receiving treatment at Mbale Hospital.
Police further revealed that the school trip departed Kampala at about 5:00 a.m. using two buses and two taxis.
The second bus and the two taxis were not involved in the accident and safely returned to Kampala with all occupants.
Government Suspends School Trips
Earlier on Friday, the Ministry of Education and Sports convened an emergency meeting with key stakeholders and announced the temporary suspension of all school educational trips across the country.
According to police, the suspension is intended to allow a comprehensive investigation into recent crashes involving school children, facilitate the development of stronger safety guidelines for school educational trips, and enable nationwide road safety sensitisation targeting schools, transport providers, teachers and other stakeholders.
The government also directed all schools currently undertaking educational trips to immediately report to the nearest police station, where officers will coordinate and, where necessary, escort learners safely back to their respective schools.
“It was further agreed that all school groups currently undertaking educational trips should immediately report to the nearest police station. Where necessary, police officers will provide escorts to ensure the safe return of learners to their respective schools,” Kananura said.
The Uganda Police Force, working with the Ministry of Education and Sports and other stakeholders, extended condolences to the bereaved families, pupils, teachers, and the entire King David Junior School community.
Police said further updates, including the findings of ongoing investigations and revised national guidelines on school transportation and educational trips, will be communicated in due course.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
