SAD! Three Dead, Several Injured As Trinity Bus Crashes Along Mbarara–Kabale Highway

By Swift Reporter

At least three people were killed and several others injured following a fatal road accident involving a Trinity Bus along the Mbarara–Kabale highway in Rukiga District.

The Kigezi Region Police Spokesperson, ASP Elly Maate, confirmed the incident, saying the crash occurred at about 2:30 a.m. at Bukinda–Kakatunda. The bus, registration number RAT 597K, was traveling from Kigali, Rwanda, to Kampala when it veered off the road and slid into a trench.

According to preliminary police investigations, the driver lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a slope at high speed. The bus first entered a water trench before sliding into a deeper trench. During the impact, the bus door broke as passengers attempted to escape, resulting in three male passengers being crushed on the spot.

Police identified the deceased as Lubwama John Herbert (26), a resident of Kanyanya Village in Kawempe Division, Wakiso District; Habineza Alfred (30), a Rwandan national and bus conductor; and Gadaffi, also a Rwandan national and bus conductor.

Four other passengers sustained injuries, including the bus driver, Habiyaremye Ananias (44), a resident of Rwamagana District in Rwanda, and three adult female passengers whose identities had not yet been established by press time.

ASP Maate said the injured were promptly rescued and rushed to Kabale Regional Referral Hospital using a Ministry of Health ambulance. He added that traffic officers, ambulance teams and other uniformed personnel were immediately deployed to the scene to conduct rescue operations, manage traffic flow and ensure the safety of other road users.

Police have attributed the primary cause of the accident to over-speeding on a slope. The scene was visited by the Rukiga District Police Commander, SSP Wabwire Alex, the Regional Traffic Officer, SP Mahad Juma, and traffic officers led by ASP Rubango J. Bosco.

The bodies of the deceased were taken to Kabale Hospital mortuary for postmortem examinations, while the wreckage of the bus was later towed and parked at Rukiga Central Police Station pending inspection by the Inspector of Vehicles.

ASP Maate extended condolences to the families of the deceased and assured the public that police will continue to strengthen road safety enforcement and emergency response along major highways.