Kapchorwa school bus accident death toll rises to 26

What the report says

The Observer reported that the death toll from the King David Junior School bus crash in Kapchorwa has climbed to 26. The dead were identified in the update as 21 pupils and five staff members, including the school director, Tadeo Ssekadde. The crash happened as pupils and staff returned from an educational tour that included tourist sites such as Sipi Falls.

According to Acting Minister of Education Dr John Chrysostom Muyingo, 217 pupils and staff had travelled in two buses with support vehicles. The bus that crashed was carrying 107 people when it overturned. Muyingo said 44 survivors were taken to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, with some described as critically injured. He also told parents at the school in Ndejje that government had set up an inter-ministerial committee to investigate what caused the accident.

The Observer reported that many parents were still struggling to get confirmed information on Friday about whether their children had died, survived or been injured. Partial lists of identified victims had been released, but some families said names were missing or unclear. Some parents reportedly travelled to Mbale and Kapchorwa in search of answers, while area MP David Sserukenya urged families to allow officials to complete the identification process.

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Dr Mercy Lakisa said counsellors had been sent to the school to support affected pupils, parents and staff. The tragedy has raised urgent questions around school travel safety, emergency communication with families, and the handling of victim identification after mass-casualty road crashes.