Uganda suspends all school trips after bus crash kills 20 children returning from Sipi Falls excursion
The bus overturned late Thursday in Kapchorwa district after the driver lost control and struck a boulder. One adult also died, and dozens were injured, prompting the government to suspend all school excursions.
The crash
On Thursday evening, a bus carrying pupils from King David Junior School in Kampala was returning from an educational trip to Sipi Falls in eastern Uganda. Near Chekwatit village in Kapchorwa district, the driver lost control. The vehicle, an Isuzu with registration UA 108BQ, veered off the road, struck a large boulder, and overturned. Police community liaison officer Michael Kananura confirmed the sequence in a statement on social media.
The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road, struck a large stone along the roadside, and overturned.
The crash happened late at night, about 300 km from Kampala near the Kenya border. All the children on board were under 12 years old.
- Bus overturns after hitting boulder in Chekwatit village, Kapchorwa district.
- Hundreds of parents arrive at King David Junior School demanding information.
- Education Minister Chrysostom Muyingo suspends all school trips and excursions.
- Police confirm 20 pupils and 1 adult dead; investigation ongoing.
Casualties and rescue
Twenty pupils and one adult male died at the scene. The adult was later identified by some reports as the school's founder and head. Three adult males and several juveniles sustained injuries. Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi said more than 28 children were being treated in hospitals, nine in critical condition. Survivors were taken to Kaserem Health Centre IV, Kapchorwa General Hospital, and Mbale Regional Referral Hospital. Bodies were moved to Kapchorwa Mortuary for identification and postmortem.
Residents arrived before official rescue teams and began carrying victims from the wreckage, according to footage released by the Uganda Red Cross Society. Some survivors were transported to hospitals in pick-up trucks.
Government response
On Friday, Education Minister Chrysostom Muyingo announced an immediate suspension of all school trips and excursions nationwide, effective until further notice. He delivered the news to parents gathered at the school, where he also confirmed that the school's director and four teachers had died. The government opened an investigation into the crash.
All school trips and excursions are put on hold, effective immediately and until further notice.
Parents demand answers
By Friday morning, hundreds of parents had gathered at King David Junior School on the outskirts of Kampala, desperate for information. Many wept and leaned on one another. Some had driven the roughly nine-hour journey to the crash site to search local hospitals. Others turned to WhatsApp groups and TikTok for updates.
Until we see our children and know their status our minds can't settle.
Augustine Lwanga, a parent, learned through clients near the crash site that his child was being treated at a hospital. He demanded the government deploy police vehicles and ambulances to bring the children home. Nicholas Ssebuwufu called for military aircraft to transport the injured and return the dead.
Road safety crisis
Road accidents are frequent in Uganda. Experts cited by Reuters blame poorly maintained vehicles, reckless driving, and a lack of street lighting. In 2024, the country recorded 5,144 deaths in 4,434 fatal collisions. Earlier this month, 14 people died when a bus and truck collided in northern Uganda. Last October, 46 people were killed in a multi-vehicle crash on the Kampala-Gulu highway. In May, a minibus collided with an elephant in a national park, killing three.
