Govt Officials, Police Hold Crisis Meeting Over Rising School Tour Accidents

What the report says

Education, transport and police officials in Uganda have held a crisis meeting to examine safety measures for school study tours after a series of deadly road accidents involving pupils and students. According to Nile Post, the talks took place at the Ministry of Education and Sports headquarters and included representatives from the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Ministry of Works and Transport, and the Uganda Police Force.

Those identified in the meeting included ministry spokesperson Dr Dennis Mugimba, Commissioner for Transport Regulation and Safety Winston Katushabe, and Traffic Police chief Assistant Inspector General of Police Lawrence Nuwabine. The discussions reportedly focused on urgent steps to reduce the risk of further deaths on school trips, although the specific decisions had not been made public by the time of reporting.

The meeting followed a fatal crash involving a bus carrying pupils from King David Junior School in Ndeje, Wakiso District, which had returned from a study tour at Sipi Falls. Nile Post said the bus overturned at Chekwatit Village in Kawowo Sub-county, Kapchorwa District, killing at least 20 pupils and the school director, Tadeo Ssekade. The article also linked the move to other recent school transport incidents in Mukono and Bugweri, which have intensified calls for tighter oversight of school journeys.

Officials are expected to develop new guidance on school transport, vehicle checks, driver standards and supervision for educational tours. The broader significance is a renewed push to regulate school travel more strictly as authorities respond to repeated fatalities on long-distance trips.