Uganda Suspends School Excursions After Bus Crash Kills 21, Injures Dozens

The Ugandan government has suspended all school excursions nationwide following a devastating bus crash that claimed the lives of at least 20 pupils and one adult in Kapchorwa District, eastern Uganda.

The victims were returning from an educational tour on Thursday evening when the bus reportedly developed a mechanical fault before the driver lost control while descending Chekwatit Hill, a road notorious for fatal accidents.

Dozens of other passengers, including pupils and school staff, sustained varying degrees of injuries in the crash.

Announcing the immediate suspension of school trips, Uganda’s Minister of Education, John Chrysostom Muyingo, said the measure was necessary to safeguard children while authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

“As an immediate precautionary measure, we must do something about the safety of our children,” Muyingo said, adding that the ban would remain in force until investigations are concluded.

According to Uganda Police Traffic spokesperson, Michael Kananura, preliminary findings indicate that the driver lost control of the vehicle before it veered off the road.

“The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road, struck a large stone along the roadside, and overturned,” Kananura said.

The accident occurred at about 8:00 p.m. local time in Chekwatit village. The bus was conveying pupils of King David Junior School in Ndejje, who were returning from a study tour.

Uganda’s Minister for Local Government, Balaam Ateenyi Barugahara, confirmed that the school’s founder and director, Tadeo Ssekade, was among those killed.

“Sadly, 20 children and one adult, who happens to be the founder and director, Mr Tadeo Ssekade, have gone to be with the Lord,” Barugahara wrote on X after visiting the crash scene.

Eyewitness videos circulating on social media showed the bus extensively damaged as residents and emergency responders worked to rescue trapped passengers and evacuate the injured.

Local media reported that the pupils had visited the scenic Sipi Falls, a popular tourist destination in eastern Uganda, as part of their educational excursion.

The tragedy has renewed concerns over road safety in Uganda, where thousands of people lose their lives annually in traffic accidents. Authorities have consistently attributed the high death toll to speeding, poor vehicle maintenance, and hazardous road conditions.

The latest incident is one of the deadliest involving schoolchildren in the country in recent years and follows a series of serious school bus crashes reported in recent weeks, prompting fresh calls for stricter transport safety measures.