For many students of Nalango Senior Secondary School, the frightening moments of Friday evening’s crash along the Jinja–Kamuli Road remain vivid, even as they begin to recover in hospital. Some still wake up to the sound of the impact, while others are nursing bruises and painful memories after the school vehicle they were travelling in crashed at Busota Trading Centre.
A report from the Kamuli Emergency Medical Team shows that 47 people were injured in the accident, including 31 students and 16 adults. All the casualties were admitted to Kamuli General Hospital, where most are responding well to treatment. Jalia Babirye, one of the injured students, believes the driver was speeding throughout the journey despite earlier intervention by traffic police.
She said the bus had earlier been stopped during the trip, with traffic officers directing the driver to park for an hour because of overspeeding. However, she says the driver resumed driving at high speed once they continued with the journey. According to Babirye, some students repeatedly mocked the driver by singing teasing songs, which appeared to anger him.
“We were being driven at a very high speed. The students kept mocking the driver with songs, and I remember he exchanged bitter words with some of them about five minutes before the accident. I think that may have distracted him before the vehicle rammed into a stationary truck,” she said.
Babirye sustained bruises on her back but says her condition has improved steadily, and she hopes to be discharged soon. For another survivor, Fatuma Naiwumbwe, the ordeal is far from over.
She says she lost consciousness during the rescue and only regained awareness while lying in a hospital bed surrounded by her teachers. Although doctors have assured her that her internal organs are normal, Naiwumbwe says she continues to suffer headaches, joint pain and emotional trauma. “All I remember is the loud sound of the crash. Every time I try to sleep, that sound comes back,” she said.
Despite the trauma, she remains hopeful of recovering quickly and returning to class. Francis Nabirye, the Geography teacher who supervised the educational trip, said the students had travelled peacefully in four coaster buses from Kamuli District to Ssezibwa Falls in Buikwe District. However, he said complaints about the speed of one of the drivers emerged during the return journey.
“We spoke to the driver and asked him to reduce his speed, but he did not heed our advice,” Nabirye said. He said about 20 students are recovering well and are expected to be discharged next week. The school has also contacted parents of the injured students and is working with them to purchase medical supplies needed for treatment.
Meanwhile, Kamuli Assistant District Health Officer and head of the Emergency Response Team, Moses Lyagoba, said three students remain in critical condition, while the rest are showing encouraging signs of recovery and are expected to be discharged in the coming days.
Lyagoba urged all road users to observe traffic regulations, saying careful driving is essential to preventing the loss of lives, property, time and money. URN