Eight die in Christmas holiday accidents

Nationwide. At least eight people died in different accidents in various parts of the country during the Christmas holiday.
Two Daily Monitor staff died when a vehicle they were travelling in rammed into a stationary lorry at Nabweyo village in Budaka District on the Mbale-Tirinyi highway.
Two other people also died in a head-on motorcycle accident in Tororo District while another was knocked by a motorist in Pallisa District.
In Gulu District, at least three people died in separate incidences on Christmas eve, according to police.

Budaka
The two people killed in the Budaka accident have been idetified as Tonny Kaddu, 49, a driver with Monitor Publications Ltd (MPL) and Daniel Amuda, a staff of the company.
Eyes witnesses said it took them more than 30 minutes to retrieve the bodies from the wreckage of the vehicle that had entered under the stationary Fuso lorry UAM 983C, carrying bags of maize.

The accident that took place at about 6:00am on December 27, comes barely three weeks after another accident involving the Uganda Cranes bus killed seven people on the same road after it rammed into an omnibus from Kampala.
According to the Budaka District Traffic Officer, Mrs Anna Illomu, the MPL vehicle UAW 084E had just delivered newspapers in Mbale and Soroti when it hit the lorry from behind, killing the duo instantly.
The lorry was parked at the road side after it developed a mechanical condition.
Ms Illomu identified the survivors as Ms Sarah Apio, 26, and Ms Sarah Nafuna, 23, the wife of Mr Kaddu.
The survivors were taken to Budaka Health Centre IV and later transferred to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital where they are nursing injuries.

Tororo
At least two people were reported killed after they were involved in an accident in Tororo District on Christmas Day. Police spokesperson for Bukedi region Michael Odongo confirmed the victims as Geoffrey Olweny, 30 and Wilgers Ochola, 35, all residents of Paya Sub-county in Budama North constituency. They died instantly after a head-on collision of motor cycles they were riding.
He attributed the incidents to over speeding and possibility of riding under the influence of alcohol as a result of excitement of the festive season.
Mr Odongo said that another pedestrian, Anna Rose Amoding, a resident of Kisiran in Pallisa District, was knocked dead by a speeding motorist.

Gulu/Amuru
Three people died in separate incidents in Gulu and Amuru District, on Christmas eve, according to police. Those reported dead included Ronald Opiyo, 17, a resident of Paicho Sub-county in Gulu District who committed suicide after picking quarrel with his father.
Others are Rofina Adong 61, a resident Omel village in Paicho Sub-county, who succumbed to kidney rapture after being beaten by her husband in a domestic brawl. Another, Robert Auka, 30, a resident of Amuru District died after being knocked dead by a speeding motorcycle.

Mpigi
Ten passengers were rushed for medical attention after a commuter taxi in which they were travelling overturned at Nakyetema swamp near Mpambire Trading Centre in Mpigi Town Council on Christmas Day.According to Mr Ahmed Sseguya, the Mpigi District Police Commander, the accident occurred on Christmas Day when the driver of a taxi UAT 243A that was travelling from Kampala to Bukomansimbi District lost control after a tyre burst and overturned several times.

Mr Sseguya identified the injured as Mr Umar Mutyaba, Ms Resty Namubiru, Mr Deo Ssentongo, Ms Halimah Nanfuka, Mr David Takuba, Ms Aisha Nakitto and Ms Flavia Nassolo. Others were a one-year-old baby Tyra Abaizo and a ten- month-old toddler Bakka Ssendagire.

Accident report
Masaka highway has 18 deadly black spots out of the 200 identified countrywide, according to a 2014 report from National Road Safety Council. The 2014 crime report shows that accidents increased from 18,368 in 2013 to 18,686 last year.

Compiled by David Mafabi, Mudangha Kolyangha, Sadat Mbogo, Joseph Omollo, Julius Ocungi.

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