HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Several road accidents on the Jinja-Iganga highway claimed the lives of 15 people in two separate skirmishes. The incidents have left families devastated and communities in mourning.
In the first accident, a commuter taxi with registration UBE 932 H collided with a stationary trailer, registered as RL1055/RAC603Q, in Musita village around 11:00 pm on Saturday. Nine individuals lost their lives on the spot.
The victims, who included the taxi driver, Peter Isabirye, 61, Rachael Naisanga from Kaliro, and Fred Tenywa of Luuka district, were primarily passengers in the ill-fated taxi. Among the casualties were Fidha Nangobi and her two-year-old child, Lukman Sseruwagi, a businessman in Iganga town, and an aspiring musician identified as Alaisa from Bulanga town council.
Diana Nandawula, the spokesperson for Busoga East Police, indicated that the Musita accident was attributed to speeding and poor visibility. She urged drivers to exercise caution on the highways, emphasizing that the fatalities in the Musita incident could have been minimized if not for the high speed of the taxi.
In a separate incident at Namasoga village, involving a Toyota Hiace UAV659L, Isuzu Elf UBH 032W, and Toyota Sienta UBJ679Y, six people lost their lives. The deceased were identified as Umar Gonzaga Batwawula, Leokadia Nangoma from Lwanda in Luuka district, and Yahaya Kinyata, 27, a resident of Namutumba. Two children and another female adult remained unidentified at the time of the press release.
Nandawula stated that investigations into the Namasoga accident were ongoing. She explained that the Isuzu truck, loaded with sand and en route to Jinja district, experienced a flat tire, veering off the road. The subsequent collision involved the taxi from the Jinja side and the Sienta vehicle, which rammed into the truck from behind.
Eyewitnesses at Musita, including Shaban Kintu, claimed that the accident was caused by a stationary trailer with a mechanical problem. Kintu emphasized that the lack of hazard warning signs and adverse weather conditions might have contributed to the tragedy.
The Iganga taxi driver chairperson, Hakim Wakyambe, extended sympathies to the grieving families and urged the authorities to promptly remove abandoned vehicles from the road to prevent similar incidents.
As of press time, the bodies were at Iganga Hospital mortuary, awaiting identification and collection by grieving families for burial. The vehicles involved had been towed to Iganga Police Station. The community grapples with the profound loss, emphasizing the need for increased road safety measures and awareness to prevent such heart-wrenching accidents in the future
