Dozens killed in catastrophic multi-vehicle crash on Kampala highway; authorities urge caution
Dozens of people were killed and many more likely injured after a multi-vehicle collision on a major highway leading out of Uganda’s capital, Kampala, on Wednesday — an incident officials described as one of the country’s worst recent road disasters.
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Police and other stakeholders were swift to appeal for calm and for motorists to drive with caution after the crash, which triggered a chain reaction involving buses, trucks and smaller vehicles. Authorities said they have revised an earlier toll of 63 fatalities, but officials had not released a final, confirmed death count at the time of the statement.
How it unfolded
A police spokesperson described a chaotic scene in which an attempted overtaking manoeuvre set events in motion. “One of the drivers swerved in an attempt to avoid a collision, but this resulted in a head-on and side collision, causing a chain reaction that led to other vehicles losing control and overturning several times,” the spokesperson said. Photographs and early reports from the scene showed mangled metal and toppled vehicles strewn along the carriageway.
Emergency teams, police and local officials converged on the site. President Yoweri Museveni conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims and said each affected family will receive a financial package, according to a statement from his office. The president’s pledge underlined the scale of the calamity and the government’s immediate response, but also raised questions about long-term measures to prevent similar tragedies.
Witness accounts and the human cost
Details about the condition of survivors and the precise number of injured were still being compiled, as hospitals and emergency services worked through the night. In towns that serve as gateways to Kampala’s outskirts, funerals and vigils were expected to begin as relatives searched for information about missing loved ones.
Scenes like this reverberate beyond the immediate devastation: relatives left with the bureaucratic burden of identifying bodies and arranging burials, and communities that must absorb the emotional and economic shock when breadwinners are lost. In Uganda, where public transport is a lifeline for millions, pileups on major arteries often have ripple effects across households and local economies.
Wider context: a persistent public-safety challenge
Uganda has long grappled with a high incidence of road traffic deaths and catastrophic collisions. Contributing factors frequently cited by traffic experts include reckless overtaking, speeding, poor vehicle maintenance, overloading, and gaps in enforcement and road infrastructure. While authorities have repeatedly announced crackdowns on dangerous driving and plans for infrastructure upgrades, large-scale crashes still occur with alarming regularity.
- Risky overtaking manoeuvres on busy highways
- Speeding and failure to respect road signage
- Poorly maintained commercial vehicles and overloaded buses
- Insufficient enforcement and driver training
Experts say each of these factors compounds the others. On densely trafficked corridors leaving Kampala, where private cars, commuter buses and heavy freight mix, a single moment of evasive driving can trigger pile-ups — as happened on Wednesday.
Government response and accountability
The president’s promise of financial support to affected families is the type of immediate relief governments often offer after mass-casualty incidents. Yet such announcements also spotlight a deeper dilemma: emergency payouts do not substitute for systemic reforms. Families and road-safety advocates are likely to press for clearer answers about what went wrong and what will be done to stop future loss of life.
Policymakers face tough choices — from investing in safer road design and better signage to tougher vehicle inspections and stricter licensing and enforcement regimes. There is also a role for transport companies, unions and community groups to push for safer operating practices and for the adoption of technologies such as speed limiters and automated monitoring that can reduce risky driving behaviour.
Global and regional echoes
This crash is not an isolated phenomenon. Across much of sub-Saharan Africa and in many low- and middle-income countries, road traffic crashes remain a leading cause of death and disability. The United Nations and World Health Organization have urged nations to adopt comprehensive road-safety strategies, combining infrastructure improvements, law enforcement, emergency response capacity, and public education. Where progress has been made, it has often come from sustained investment and political will sustained over years, not just after headline-grabbing disasters.
Will this tragedy prompt a renewed, long-term commitment in Uganda to those hard but necessary reforms? Or will it elicit the familiar short-term responses that fail to prevent the next catastrophe? For the families now grieving, answers cannot come soon enough.
Authorities said investigations into the precise causes of the crash are underway and that they will release further details as they are confirmed. In the meantime, police and transport officials urged motorists to exercise extra caution on the roads and to adhere strictly to traffic regulations.
By News-room
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
