One Student Killed, Several Injured After School Bus Collides with Train in Mukono

One student has been confirmed dead and several others injured after a bus transporting learners from Mwebaze High School in Kakiri collided with a train in Mukono District on Friday morning.

The crash occurred at about 7:00 a.m. in Namumira-Bukasa Village, Nakisunga Sub-county, along Katosi Road, as the students travelled to Jinja District for an educational trip.

According to Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Rachel Kawala, preliminary investigations indicate that the school bus was attempting to cross a railway line when it was struck by an oncoming train. The child died at the scene, while several other students sustained injuries of varying severity.

Police officers, working alongside emergency responders, evacuated the injured to Mukono General Referral Hospital and other nearby health facilities for treatment. The body of the deceased was taken to the hospital mortuary pending a postmortem examination.

Kawala said police had secured the scene and launched investigations to establish the exact cause and circumstances surrounding the crash. She added that more information would be released once the investigations progress and the facts are verified.

According to the Uganda Railways Corporation (URC), the railway crossing was manned by a Railway Police officer at the time of the accident. The officer reportedly signalled the school bus driver to stop before attempting to cross the tracks, but the driver allegedly ignored the instruction and proceeded onto the railway line, where the bus was struck by the oncoming train.

Some of the members of the public who helped rescue the victims told reporters that several students were distressed after the crash. According to the witnesses, some of the learners alleged that the bus driver had been driving recklessly and appeared fatigued before the collision. Police have not yet confirmed those claims.

The tragedy has once again drawn attention to the dangers at railway crossings within the Kampala Metropolitan area, particularly those without barriers or flagmen.

Railway-related crashes involving road vehicles have occurred repeatedly in recent years. In November 2023, a commuter train struck a boda boda rider at an informal railway crossing in Namanve, Mukono District, killing the rider instantly. Following that incident, Uganda Railways Corporation urged motorists to stop, look and listen before crossing railway lines.

In June 2022, a freight train collided with a truck that had stalled on the tracks in Kampala’s Industrial Area. Although no lives were lost, the crash caused hours of traffic disruption as rescue teams cleared the wreckage.

Authorities have consistently appealed to motorists, particularly those transporting schoolchildren, to exercise extreme caution at railway crossings, many of which remain unprotected. Friday’s crash is a painful reminder of the devastating consequences that can result when vehicles and trains meet at such crossings.