Liberty Motors Director Remanded Over King David Junior School Bus Crash

What the report says

Nile Post reported that Muhangi Shadaya, a director of Liberty Motors Uganda Limited, has been charged in connection with the King David Junior School bus crash that killed 24 learners. The case was brought before the Kapchorwa Chief Magistrate’s Court, where police said the driver of the school bus allegedly did not hold a valid driving permit and was using a licence belonging to his brother.

According to the report, Sipi Region Police Spokesperson SP Fredmark Chesang said Shadaya faces three counts under Uganda’s Traffic and Road Safety Act, Cap. 347. The charges relate to allegedly allowing an unlicensed person to drive, permitting a passenger vehicle to operate without the required licence, and allowing a mechanically defective vehicle onto the road. Shadaya appeared before Chief Magistrate Martin Wakayembe on Monday, denied the charges, and was remanded until August 13, 2026.

Kapchorwa Resident District Commissioner Stanley Bayole said after the court appearance that police had pursued the matter with support from traffic investigators, and that officers who had been manning checkpoints along the route had also been arrested over alleged neglect of duty. He said the Director of Public Prosecutions had sanctioned the case file ahead of prosecution.

The crash has drawn attention because of the high number of child fatalities and the road safety questions it raises around school transport. Bayole thanked Kapchorwa residents for assisting victims and families, and urged motorists travelling through the mountainous Sebei sub-region to follow traffic rules and use qualified, experienced drivers.