At least 63 people have been confirmed dead and several others critically injured after a tragic road crash at Kitaleba Village, near Asili Farm, along the Kampala–Gulu Highway in the early hours of Wednesday, October 22, 2025.
The accident, which occurred at around 12:15 a.m., involved four vehicles — two buses, a lorry, and a Toyota Surf. According to police, the vehicles were:
- UBF 614X Isuzu Bus (Nile Star Coaches)
- UAM 045V Isuzu Bus (Planet Company)
- UBK 647C Tata Lorry
- CGO 5132AB 07 Toyota Surf
Police say the tragedy was caused by dangerous overtaking by both bus drivers traveling from opposite directions.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that both bus drivers attempted to overtake at the same time, resulting in a head-on collision,” said SP Michael Kananura, the Traffic Police Spokesperson.
“One driver tried to swerve to avoid impact, but that led to a chain reaction involving the other vehicles,” he added.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as horrific, with wreckage scattered along the road and bodies trapped inside the mangled buses.
“It was chaos — screams everywhere, smoke, and twisted metal. We tried to help pull out survivors,” recounted one eyewitness at the scene.
The Uganda Police and emergency teams swiftly responded, rushing the injured to Kiryandongo Hospital and nearby health centers, while bodies of the deceased were taken to the hospital mortuary for post-mortem and identification.
SP Kananura expressed condolences to the bereaved families and called for extra caution among drivers, especially on highways.
“We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families of the victims and wish the injured a quick recovery,” he said.
“Drivers must avoid reckless overtaking — it continues to claim innocent lives.”
The Police Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety has launched a full investigation into the crash.
