A breakdown truck tows another truck in Bugoma, Kalangala District, after its driver knocked Isabel Onetti,8, last year. (PHOTO/DAVID SEKAYINGA) Inset is Geofrey Lubega, the proprietor of Victoria Education Centre, who died in a crash on Luku-Mulabana-Kalangala Road in 2024. PHOTO/COURTESY
Luku-Bulabana-Kalangala Road, which connects Kalangala’s Buggala Island to Bugoma, where ferries connecting to Bukakkata on Masaka mainland dock, has become increasingly hazardous, with frequent motor crashes.
This section of the road has remained in a sorry state for a decade despite periodic maintenance works, putting the lives of motorists and passengers at risk.
One of the latest fatal crashes on the road stretch happened on January 3, when Faisal Wahabu Sonko, a father of four from Mutambala Village in Mugoye Sub-county, who was transporting dry coffee beans to Masaka City on a motorcycle, died in a head-on collision.
Mr Twaha Kasirye, the Southern Regional Police spokesperson, said Sonko collided with Mr Rogers Namanya, 23, a resident of Kagoonya Landing Site in Bujumba Sub-county.
“Unfortunately, Sonko died on the spot, but Namanya sustained injuries and was rushed to Masaka Referral Hospital for further treatment,” he said.
Similarly, in March 2024, Mr Geoffrey Lubega, a prominent educationist and proprietor of Victoria Education Centre, died in a crash near Bumangi Village.
Police records showed he was knocked by a boda boda rider who was heading to Kalangala from Bugoma, as he was heading back with a teacher to the school.
The Southern Regional Police spokesperson said he needs more time to compile data on all crashes that occurred on the road.
But Mr Rajab Ssemakula, the Kalangala District chairperson, said 15 traffic crashes have occurred on that route in the past 12 months, resulting in eight fatalities and numerous injuries.
“Despite these traffic crashes, all health facilities on that route are ill-equipped to manage emergency cases. Take the example of SIAAP Health Centre II, Mugoye Health Centre III, Bumangi Health Centre III and Kasekulo Health Centre II –all these lack doctors and medicine to handle severe injuries,” he said.
Mr Ssemakula added: “As a district, we are trying to improve the services at those health centres, but we are resource constrained. We pray that the government responds to our outcry to elevate Kalangala Health Centre IV to a hospital.”
He explained that patients who cannot be handled by medics at Kalangala Health Centre IV are usually referred to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital, which is costly.
“One time, a boda boda rider got involved in an accident at Lwonga Village, Bujumba Sub-county and we had to carry his shattered body parts in an ambulance at Bugoma Ferry docking pier to board a boat to Bakakkata on the mainland and later to Masaka. Such conditions lessen survival chances for most patients,” Mr Ssemakula stated.
Ms Harriet Namisango, a resident of Kalangala Town, said a young woman who was involved in a crash on the same route died in her hands as she was transporting her and other injured people to the nearest health facility two years ago.
“On May 3, 2023, I came across a motor accident involving five young girls. I rushed them to SIAAP Health Centre II, but I had to buy medicine first aid from outside before taking them to Kalangala Health Centre IV,” she said.
Ms Namisango added: “One of the girls called Maria Roy Nantongo, died on reaching the health centre. We need a health facility in Mugoye Sub-county that is fully equipped to handle accident cases on that route.”
Mr John Kayima Muzeeyi, the chairperson for Mugoye Sub-county, said:“Accidents usually occur at known black spots in Betta, Kagulube, Bumangi and Bugoma. We ask the Ministry of Works, which has taken over the functions of the Uganda National Roads Authority, to help us install humps and road signs.”
Mr Herman Jilibe, the Kalangala District secretary for works, called upon the Works ministry “to tarmac the Luku –Mulabana - Kalangala Road and remove the sharp corners.” He said: “It’s the only way we can reduce the carnage on that route.’’
Mr Ronald Serugo, a boda boda rider at Kayembe stage in Kalangala Town Council, attributed the increasing crashes on the route to ongoing maintenance works.
“Whenever that road undergoes repairs, workers leave huge piles of soil by the roadside without any warning sign. Many riders, including me, have been involved in accidents on that road after hitting those piles,” he said.
Mr Kasirye, however, urged all road users to be responsible while on the road, adding that traffic police officers have started a crackdown on motorists who do not comply with rules and guidelines such as speed limits.
“We can start now and do the right thing to avert more road carnage,” he said.
Other cases
In August 2024, a truck knocked an eight-year-old girl, Isabel Oneti, while its driver was rushing to catch the last ferry trip at Bugoma docking pier. Before knocking Oneti, the truck first collided with two boda bodas and two cars.
Last January, the Buyindi Village chairperson, Mr Joseph Muleebwa, survived death by a whisker after his vehicle overturned. In March 2022, lawyer Angella Nakafeero, 30, died in a car crash near Bugoma Trading Centre.
The car she was travelling in with three of her friends overturned. Other occupants survived with injuries. According to the 2023 annual Police Crime Report, a total of 23,608 road crashes were recorded. Of these, 4,179 were fatal.
