A truck tows away the wreckage of a bus involved in a road crash at Kaihura Trading Centre on the Fort Portal-Kyenjojo Road last month. PHOTO/ALEX ASHABA
The year 2024 has been marred by a devastating surge in road accidents, claiming the lives of many Ugandans and leaving families shattered.
In Mbale District, the family of Mr Fred Masaba is still reeling from the loss of their 25-year-old son, Isaac Woniala.
A bright and ambitious young man, Woniala had his whole life ahead of him.
Tragically, his journey was cut short on a fateful morning in March, when the taxi he was travelling in collided with a speeding truck on the Mbale-Tororo Highway.
"I still remember the day I received the news that my son had died in an accident. It felt like my world had come to an end," Mr Masaba recalls. "My son is gone, and all I am left with are memories."
Woniala's story is just one of the many heartbreaking tales of lives lost on Ugandan roads in 2024. The statistics, according to the Uganda Police Force, show that more than 2,000 people have lost their lives in road accidents since the start of the year.
As the death toll continues to rise, Ugandans are left wondering what is behind this alarming surge in road accidents and what can be done to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.
People stand near the wreckage of a fuel tanker that overturned and burst into flames at Kigogwa town on Kampala-Bombo road. PHOTO/ ABUBAKER LUBOWA
Statistics from the Uganda Police Force indicate that road accidents have risen sharply. A mini crime report revealed that a total of 2,347 people died and 8,127 others were seriously injured in road accidents from January to June this year.
The 2023 Annual Crime and Road Safety report shows that the number of reported incidents of road crashes increased by 16 percent from 20,394 in 2022 to 23,608 in 2023. Out of the total crashes reported in 2023, at least 4,179 were fatal, 12,487 were serious and 6,942 were minor crashes.
There were 24,728 casualties from road crashes in 2023 compared to 21,473 in 2022, giving a 15 percent increase in the number of casualties.
In 2023, speeding and careless overtaking were the leading causes of road crashes, accounting for 50 percent of total crashes registered.
The major causes of these accidents, according to the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety, are speeding, careless overtaking, overloading and driving cars in dangerous mechanical conditions.
With a few days to Christmas, the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety's spokesperson, Mr Michael Kananura, says they have been conducting various operations to ensure a safer and more enjoyable season for all road users.
"Operations targeting vehicles in dangerous mechanical condition, a total number of 490 vehicles were impounded for the last week. Operations targeting riders without licenses, a total number of 940 riders were arrested. In our snap checkpoints, like I already communicated, a total of 117 drivers were arrested for reckless driving," Mr Kananura reveals.
The wreckage of a fuel tanker that overturned and burst into flames at Kigogwa Town on Kampala-Bombo road in Kasangati, Wakiso District on October 22, 2024. PHOTOES/ NOELINE NABUKENYA
He adds: "We thus issue a stern warning to all motorists as follows. Number one, buses travelling over 300 kilometres must not have return journeys within 24 hours, only buses with valid route charts and PSV licences will be allowed to operate."
Mr Kananura says all drivers must possess valid driving licences and driver badges for the case of bus drivers at all times while driving, and a photo of the driver must be displayed behind the driver's seat and no school bus or unauthorised private vehicle will be allowed to operate as a passenger service vehicle.
"All vehicles must be in good mechanical condition with proper tyre pressure, functioning brakes, and adequate lighting. You must adhere to speed limits, especially in areas with high pedestrian activity. You must avoid overtaking in risky places such as hills, corners, busy areas, in situations where there are many vehicles ahead of you, situations where other vehicles are indicating to overtake before you," he advises.
Wreckage of a Gateway Bus is seen on August 19, 2024 in the aftermaths of a crash that left six dead and dozens injured. PHOTO/ISSA ALIGA
He says drivers must avoid using phones while driving and also other distractions and failure to comply with these directives will result in arrest and further action.
MAJOR ACCIDENTS THAT CLAIMED LIVES IN 2024
August 28: 10 people die and several others are injured in a crash after a bus collides with a Toyota Hiace taxi at Kaihura Trading Centre on the Fort Portal-Kyenjojo road.
October 16: A devastating head-on collision between a taxi and a Fuso truck on the Gulu-Kampala Highway in Luweero District claims six lives and leaves five others seriously injured.
November 14: At least seven people are confirmed dead in a road crash that occurs on the Jinja-Iganga Highway in the Kakira sugarcane plantation when a commuter taxi hits a stationary truck loaded with sugarcane.
August 19: At least seven people are confirmed dead and more than 30 others injured after a Kampala-bound bus they were travelling in collides with a truck at Kirumba Village, Lwengo District on Masaka-Mbarara Highway.
A mangled car at the scene of the fatal accident on Kampala-Gulu highway's notorious Sinalya road section in Luweero District on Wednesday. PHOTO | DAN WANDERA
September 1: Police confirm eight people have died in a motor crash on the Kampala-Masaka Highway. The accident occurs at 2am near Kabale-Bugonzi, close to Peak Eclat Primary School. A speeding bus belonging to Jaguar Bus Company is travelling from Kampala to Kigali, Rwanda, when it veers out of its lane and collides head-on with a Fuso truck.
