Four die, thirteen injured in two separate accidents along Masaka road

LWENGO/MPIGI. At least four people have been confirmed dead in two separate motor accidents along Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara highways.

According to the eyewitness, Mr Bernard Kamya, a resident of Nabyewanga Town, the first accident occurred at around 3.30am near River Katonga in Mpigi District involving two Fuso trucks. The trucks involved in the accident were; Reg. No UAW 524M and UAZ 016W both carrying beans to Kampala.
“The first truck had got a mechanical problem and was parked by the roadside, but there was nothing showing any sign that there was a vehicle parked ahead,” Mr Kamya said, adding that the second vehicle (UAW 524M) which was speeding bumped into the stationed truck (UAZ 016W) thus causing the accident.

Kamya added that such trucks taking produces to Kampala at night usually speed. The accident took place a few Kilometres to Katonga traffic police check point.
Three occupants of the Fuso which hit another died. They have been identified as; Deogratius Busingye, Bernard Bushanga - all residents of Mbarara District and a one Kaamu (turn boy).

Three others, who police are yet to identify, survived with injuries and were rushed to Nkozi Hospital where they are currently receiving treatment.
Police in the area found a difficult time to tow the two heavily loaded trucks from the scene and this hindered traffic flow along the usually busy highway for about two hours.

Meanwhile, one person has been confirmed dead and ten other injured after a bus belonging to Volcano bus company Reg. No. RAD 257M traveling from Kigali to Kampala bumped into a Canter-tipper Reg. No UAZ 475K which was taking beans from Isingiro to Kampala.

The accident took place at 6am near Kyaboggo village, Kingo Sub -Country in Lwengo District.
The deceased has been identified as Thadee Masangesho, the bus conductor. Those injured have been identified as; Jean Niyonsaba, Jonah Kwizera, Isaac Kasirye, Joan Ndagire and another woman only identified as Odethe .The rest were discharged since they had minor injuries.

The injured and deceased were taken to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital for treatment and postmortem respectively.
After the accident, police was able to help the survivors by getting them another means of transport to continue with their journey to Kampala.

None of the survivors of this accident could give an account on how the accident happened. However, Mr Lameck Kigozi, the Southern Regional police spokesperson, said according to the traffic police investigations, the accident was caused by the bus driver.

“He (bus driver) must have been speeding and tried to overtake on a climbing lane and he lost control hence bumping into the canter which was ahead of him,” Mr Kigozi said.
Police officers have mounted a search for the bus driver, Sidero Habyalimana, who took off immediately after the accident.
A number of drivers and road users have been raising concerns that the volcano buses are found of speeding.

Accidents along Masaka – Kampala highway which had taken an upward trend last year, decreased after the launch of an operation dubbed “Fiika Salaama” (reach safely) which was intended to tackle errant motorists, sensitise and discipline road users on safety and infrastructure protection.

Police have always insisted that accidents on major roads are due to human error. According to Ministry of Works and Transport performance report of 2016/17 at least 9,572 people have been killed in motor accidents in the last three years countrywide.

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