Uganda Halts School Trips After Bus Crash Kills 20 Pupils

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

KAMPALA (Worthy News) – Uganda suspended all school trips “until further notice” Friday after a school bus crash killed 20 pupils and one adult overnight. The decision came as Uganda mourned one of its deadliest school transport tragedies in recent years.

Parents and other relatives rushed to the elementary schoolyard in Kampala on Friday morning seeking information about their loved ones.

The bus, carrying pupils from King David Junior School in Kampala, was returning from an educational excursion to the scenic Sipi Falls in eastern Uganda when it veered off the road, struck a large rock, and overturned in Kapchorwa District, police said. Preliminary investigations suggested the driver lost control of the vehicle.

At least nine children remained in critical condition, while more than 28 others were receiving treatment in hospitals, officials said. Emergency responders, including the Uganda Red Cross, helped transport survivors to nearby medical facilities.

GOVERNMENT RESPONDS

Acting Education Minister John Chrysostom Muyingo announced an immediate nationwide suspension of all school trips while authorities investigate the tragedy and review safety regulations.

“As an immediate precautionary measure, we must do something about the safety of our children. On behalf of the government, all trips and tours have been suspended all over the country,” Muyingo told reporters.

Officials also instructed schools already on excursions to report to the nearest police station so officers could help ensure the safe return of pupils.

In October last year, 46 people were killed in another major bus crash on a highway linking Kampala with the northern city of Gulu, underscoring the country’s persistent road safety challenges.

ROAD SAFETY CONCERNS

The latest accident has underscored broader concerns about road safety in Uganda, where fatal crashes are frequently blamed on speeding, poorly maintained vehicles, inadequate road infrastructure, and weak enforcement of traffic laws.

Uganda records thousands of road deaths each year despite repeated government safety campaigns.

Authorities said the investigation into the crash is continuing as they review safety standards for school transportation nationwide.

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