The death toll from a catastrophic school bus crash in eastern Uganda has risen to 24 fatalities, following the deaths of three more pupils who succumbed to their injuries in the hospital.
The horrific accident occurred on Thursday evening, July 16, 2026, at approximately 8:00 PM local time, when an Isuzu bus carrying primary school children lost control on a notorious highway hill. ​
The vehicle, bearing registration number UA 108BQ, belonged to King David Junior School, located in the Ndejje suburb of the capital, Kampala. The students were returning from an eagerly anticipated educational study tour to the popular Sipi Falls waterfalls. ​
According to a comprehensive update released by the Uganda Police Force, the tragedy unfolded at Chekwatit village (Kimawa Parish, Kawowo Sub-county) in the Kapchorwa District, specifically along the hazardous Kaserem stretch of the Kapchorwa–Mbale Road.
​”Preliminary findings indicate the bus suffered a sudden mechanical failure while descending Chekwatit Hill,” stated traffic police spokesman Michael Kananura.
“The driver lost control, causing the vehicle to veer violently off the road, slam into a massive roadside boulder, and flip onto its side.” ​The impact completely sheared the roof off the bus, scattering school bags, clothing, and mangled seats across the tarmac.
Local villagers acted as heroic first responders, pulling children from the wreckage and flagging down passing pick-up trucks to transport the wounded before emergency services arrived.
​Of the 24 confirmed dead, 23 are young pupils and one is an adult. The adult victim has been identified as Mr. Tadeo Ssekade, the respected founder and director of King David Junior School, who was traveling alongside his students.
​The state of the casualties as verified by medical authorities includes 24 total (18 bodies have been positively identified by grief-stricken parents; 3 remain at Kapchorwa Hospital mortuary and 3 at Mbale Hospital mortuary awaiting identification).
23 pupils remain admitted to Kapchorwa Hospital under intensive care, while the bus driver is hospitalized in critical condition in Mbale under tight medical watch.
The remaining pupils who escaped physical injury have been safely evacuated back to Kampala aboard a provided Gateway Bus. ​The scale of the disaster has plunged the East African nation into deep mourning and triggered massive public outcry regarding the mechanical fitness of commercial vehicles and hazardous road infrastructure.
​In an emergency response, State Minister for Higher Education John Chrysostom Muyingo announced an immediate, indefinite suspension of all school field trips and excursions across the country. ​”The nation has suffered an unimaginable loss,” Muyingo said.
“As an immediate precautionary measure, we must freeze all educational travel until a full safety framework and strict inspection protocols are established to protect our children.” ​
The school trip had originally departed Kampala at 5:00 AM on Thursday morning utilizing a convoy of two large buses and two commuter taxis.
While the other three vehicles returned safely, the community of King David Junior School is left shattered by the loss of an entire generation of young learners.
