Uganda has been plunged into mourning following one of the deadliest road accidents in recent years, which claimed at least 63 lives and left dozens injured in a catastrophic collision along the Kampala–Gulu Highway.
The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, 22nd October 2025, at approximately 12:15 a.m., near Kitaleba Village by Asili Farm in Nakasongola District.
According to police reports, the crash involved four vehicles — an Isuzu bus registration number UBF 614X belonging to Nile Star Coaches, a Toyota Surf CGO 5132AB 07, a Tata lorry UBK 647C, and another Isuzu busUAM 045V operated by Planet Company.
Initial findings from the Uganda Police Traffic Directorate suggest that the disaster was triggered by a dangerous overtaking maneuver under poor visibility conditions.
“The driver of UBF 614X Isuzu bus, travelling from Kampala towards Gulu, attempted to overtake the Tata Lorry (UBK 647C) at the aforementioned location,” the police statement explained.
“Simultaneously, the Isuzu bus (UAM 045V), travelling from the opposite direction, was also attempting to overtake the Toyota Surf (CGO 5132AB 07).
In the process, both buses met head-on during the overtaking manoeuvres. One of the drivers swerved in an attempt to avoid collision, but this resulted in a head-on and side collision, causing a chain reaction that led to other vehicles losing control and overturning several times.
As a result, 63 people lost lives, all occupants from involved vehicles and several others sustained injuries,” the police statement further read.
Eyewitnesses from Kitaleba Village described the scene as horrific, with mangled wreckage, shattered glass, and the cries of survivors echoing through the night.
Local residents, along with security personnel and emergency responders, worked frantically to pull victims from the wreckage and rush the injured to nearby health facilities.
By dawn, ambulances from Nakasongola, Luweero, and Kiryandongo had been deployed to ferry victims to regional hospitals. Several critically injured passengers were later referred to Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala for advanced treatment.
Traffic authorities have since attributed the tragedy to reckless driving and failure to observe road safety regulations, particularly during night travel.
Officials from the Ministry of Works and Transport noted that the Kampala–Gulu Highway, one of Uganda’s busiest transport corridors connecting the central region to northern districts, has witnessed an increase in road accidents in recent months.
Road safety experts say that fatigue, poor lighting, and high-speed overtaking remain persistent problems on the highway, especially among long-distance bus drivers trying to beat tight schedules.
Uganda Police spokesperson, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Michael Kananura, emphasized that the country continues to face an alarming rate of fatal crashes, with speeding and impatience being the primary causes.
“This accident is a tragic reminder of what happens when drivers disregard traffic rules. We appeal to all motorists, especially bus operators, to exercise maximum caution while on the road, more so during night travel,” Kananura said.
He added that the police have launched a comprehensive investigation to establish whether mechanical failure, driver fatigue, or other contributing factors played a role in the collision.
The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) has also pledged to review safety measures along the Kampala–Gulu corridor, including installing more road signage and increasing patrols in high-risk zones such as Kitaleba, Kakooge, and Karuma.
As rescue operations continued into Tuesday morning, local leaders expressed grief over the loss of lives, calling on the government to strengthen enforcement of transport regulations and ensure stricter licensing of long-haul drivers.
The accident has sparked renewed calls from civil society organizations for a national road safety campaign, with advocates warning that unless urgent reforms are implemented, Uganda could continue to lose hundreds of lives annually to preventable traffic collisions.
By Tuesday afternoon, police confirmed that all bodies had been retrieved from the wreckage and transported to Nakasongola General Hospital mortuary for postmortem examination and identification by relatives.
Authorities have urged the public to contact Nakasongola Police Station for information regarding missing persons who may have been aboard any of the vehicles involved.
As the nation grapples with the aftermath of this tragedy, questions remain about enforcement gaps, driver behavior, and the overall state of public transport safety on Uganda’s major highways.
The Kampala–Gulu Highway disaster stands as a grim reminder of the human cost of road recklessness — and a call to action to make Uganda’s roads safer for all.
