At least 21 people, including 20 schoolchildren, have been killed after a school bus carrying pupils on an educational trip crashed in eastern Uganda, authorities have confirmed.
The bus, belonging to King David Junior School in Ndejje near Kampala, was returning from a study tour to Sipi Falls when it crashed at Chekwatit Hill in Kapchorwa District on Thursday evening.
According to preliminary police investigations, the bus is believed to have suffered a mechanical failure before the driver lost control. The vehicle reportedly veered off the road, hit a large roadside rock and overturned.
Police said the victims include 20 pupils and the school’s founder and director, Tadeo Ssekade. Several other passengers, including children and adults, sustained injuries and are receiving treatment in hospital as investigations into the cause of the crash continue.
Images shared online showed the bus overturned and badly damaged as local residents and emergency responders worked to rescue survivors from the wreckage.
The tragedy has once again highlighted concerns over road safety in Uganda, where road crashes continue to claim thousands of lives every year. Police statistics show that 26,044 road accidents were recorded in 2025, including 4,602 fatal crashes that resulted in more than 5,300 deaths. Authorities say reckless driving—including speeding, dangerous overtaking and tailgating—accounts for more than 40 per cent of the accidents.
The latest crash has renewed calls for wider implementation of Uganda’s Electronic Penalty System, which uses automated cameras to detect traffic offences and improve enforcement of road safety regulations.
