Police Confirm 14 Dead, 28 injured in Kampala-Gulu Highway Bus Crash

Police have confirmed that 14 people were killed in Tuesday night’s head-on collision involving a bus belonging to Opit Travellers and a trailer along the Kampala-Gulu Highway in Omoro District. The crash occurred at about 9:30 p.m. at Kulu Otit Village in Bobi Sub-County, where the Gulu-bound bus collided head-on with a trailer heading towards Kampala.

According to police reports, 28 passengers sustained severe and minor injuries. The injured are currently receiving treatment at various health facilities in Gulu City, including Lacor Hospital, Gulu Independent Hospital, Gulu Regional Referral Hospital and other medical facilities. Police also confirmed that both the bus driver and the trailer driver were among those who died in the crash on the spot.

David Ongom Mudong, the Aswa West Region Police Spokesperson, told Uganda Radio Network on Wednesday morning that authorities are still working to identify the deceased and notify their families. “At least 14 people are confirmed dead according to the accident scene report, while 28 were injured. However, we are still trying to establish their identities, and we shall give the details in due course,” Mudong said.

Mudong noted that the victims had been distributed to various hospitals within Gulu City for treatment and postmortem examinations. Preliminary police investigations indicate that the crash was caused by speeding by the bus driver. “The cause of the accident is due to overspeeding by the bus driver. I am also informed that both the driver of the bus and the trailer are among the fatalities. However, we shall verify and share that information shortly,” Mudong said.

He attributed the recurring road crashes on major highways to human error, urging motorists to exercise greater discipline while driving. According to him, although traffic police continuously conduct road safety sensitisation and enforcement, some drivers revert to reckless driving shortly after passing traffic checkpoints. Ongom also appealed to passengers to play a more active role in promoting road safety by speaking out whenever they notice dangerous driving.

Eyewitness accounts, however, suggest the driver of the bus lost control while attempting to dodge a pedestrian who was suspected to have been intoxicated before swerving off towards the oncoming trailer. The latest tragedy adds to the growing number of fatal crashes recorded along the Kampala-Gulu Highway, with authorities repeatedly citing speeding, dangerous overtaking and other forms of reckless driving as the leading causes of road accidents in the country.