Witnesses Cite Warnings Before Deadly Kapchorwa School Bus Crash

What the report says

Nile Post reports that survivors and residents near Chepkwatit slope in Kapchorwa say a King David Junior School bus had shown signs of trouble before it crashed while returning pupils from an educational tour at Sipi Falls. The bus, identified in the report as registration number UA 108BQ, was carrying pupils from the Ndejje school when it lost control on the steep Kapchorwa–Mbale road section and struck a roadside boulder, scattering wreckage, school bags and other belongings along the road.

Witnesses cited by Nile Post said the vehicle had allegedly stopped several times earlier because of mechanical problems. Some residents reportedly warned the driver not to continue down the slope and even suggested moving the children by other vehicles to a safer section before the journey resumed. The report also says residents questioned the condition of the bus, including worn tyres, while police are examining the vehicle’s mechanical state, the driver’s actions and other possible factors.

The casualty figures in the Nile Post article are not fully consistent. It reports that Dr Siraj Masai, the Kapchorwa District Health Officer, put the death toll at 21, including 19 pupils and two adults, and said dozens of casualties were received at health facilities in Kapchorwa, Kaserem and Muyembe. The same article also states elsewhere that at least 23 pupils and a teacher had been confirmed dead, with others still admitted.

The crash has intensified concern over school transport safety in Uganda, especially on mountainous routes. Nile Post reports local calls for better emergency response, stronger road safety measures, clearer warning signs at blackspots, improved hospital capacity and tighter enforcement of vehicle inspection and trip safety standards.