DOKOLO, Uganda – A routine afternoon turned to tragedy on Wednesday when a young man was killed instantly by a falling tree branch in Dokolo Town Council, leaving the community in mourning and raising fresh questions about roadside tree safety.
The deceased has been identified as Okello Godfrey, a resident of Abenyo Cell in Southern Ward. He was in his 20s.
According to an eyewitness, Abel Ekol, chairperson of the Dokolo Business Fraternity, the incident happened without warning at Te-ilwa as Godfrey walked beneath a large tree.
“He was passing under the tree when a big branch suddenly broke and fell on him. He died instantly,” Ekol told reporters at the scene. He added that bystanders were left in a state of deep shock, as there had been no visible signs of the branch weakening.
It is believed that Godfrey was on his way to pick up his child from Lamima Nursery and Primary School at the time of the fatal incident.
Police officers from Dokolo Central Police Station responded promptly to the scene. They later conveyed the body to Dokolo Health Centre IV mortuary, where a postmortem examination is expected to be carried out.
As of press time, police had not yet issued an official statement, and it remains unclear whether the tree was rotten, diseased, or simply aged. Local leaders have since called on the town council to assess old trees along busy walkways to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.
Residents described Godfrey as a quiet and hardworking young father. “He was simply going to pick his child from school. It is heartbreaking,” said a neighbor who declined to be named.
