KAMPALA- The Traffic Police records, the past seven days have seen a total of 61 fatalities in road accidents, while over 300 individuals have been injured.
The fatalities are broken down in categories including 24 pedestrians, 17 motorcyclists, and 5 vehicle occupants. Notably, pedestrians accounted for the majority (80%) of the deaths, with most being struck by motorcycles.
Kananura attributed the recent surge in road accidents to reckless driving practices, particularly careless overtaking (37%) and excessive speeding (27%).
Notably, two devastating accidents occurred on September 9th, including on the Kampala-Masaka road and one on the Mityana road, resulting in a total of 7 fatalities and over 20 injuries.
//Cue: “bwali buragajavu…
Road accidents remain one of the leading causes of death and disability among young and productive Ugandans. The recently released 2023 Police and Traffic Accident Report indicate a 35% increase in road crashes compared to the previous year.
This development comes after the Ministry of Works and Transport suspended the operations of Jaguar buses for ten days, following a fatal accident on the Kampala-Masaka road on September 1st, which claimed at least eight lives. Preliminary investigations indicate that reckless driving was the primary cause of the crash.
During the suspension announcement, Minister of State for Works and Transport, Fred Byamukama, emphasized that the accident was entirely preventable and attributed it to the driver’s reckless behaviour.
He stated, ‘This tragedy was caused by sheer recklessness, which could have been avoided with careful driving. Such irresponsible actions put innocent lives at risk, and we will not condone it.’”Byabakama said.
The Ministry also issued a stern warning to other bus operators, specifically Gateway Bus, whose drivers were captured speeding in a widely-circulated video. Minister Byamukama cautioned, ‘We have taken note of the reckless behaviour, and we will equally hold you accountable. No operator is above the law. Byabakama noted”
