Psychologists Demand National Mental Health Crisis Plan After Fatal Accidents

What the report says

Nile Post reports that the Clinical Psychologists Association Uganda (CPAU) has asked government to establish a national framework for mental health and psychosocial crisis response after several deadly transport accidents involving schoolchildren and other Ugandans. In a July 20, 2026 statement signed by CPAU President Vivian Olgah Kudda, the association said survivors, bereaved families, witnesses, first responders and communities need organised support beyond medical and physical emergency care.

The call follows a series of recent incidents cited by the association, including the Omoro bus accident, the Bugweri highway crash, the Mukono train collision, the death of students from Buzaaya, and the King David Junior School bus crash in Kapchorwa. Nile Post reported that the Kapchorwa crash happened on July 16 at Chekwatit Village, Kimawa Parish, Kawowo Sub-county, when a school bus carrying pupils from King David Junior School, Ndejje, crashed. Citing Traffic Police spokesperson Michael Kananura, the report says at least 24 pupils and two adults died, with many others injured.

Other accidents mentioned in the report include a July 10 train collision with a school bus in Mukono that killed a teacher and injured pupils, and a July 14 crash involving Amuria High School students on the Mbale–Iganga Highway in Bugweri District. After the incidents, the Ministry of Education and Sports suspended school trips and educational excursions while safety guidelines are reviewed.

CPAU commended existing government and partner efforts on mental health in emergency preparedness, but said the recent tragedies show the need for a funded, coordinated national response system. The association wants dedicated budget lines, deployment of qualified mental health professionals in emergency teams, and services such as psychological first aid, trauma-informed care, grief support and referrals.