School Bus Crash Kills 20 Pupils, Founder In Uganda

At least 20 pupils and one adult have died after a school bus carrying children on a study excursion crashed in eastern Uganda, in one of the country's deadliest road accidents involving schoolchildren in recent years.

The crash occurred on Thursday evening in Kapchorwa District as the bus, carrying pupils from King David Junior School in Ndejje, was returning from an educational trip. Dozens of other passengers, including members of staff, sustained varying degrees of injuries.

According to the Uganda Police Force, preliminary investigations indicate that the bus developed a mechanical fault before the driver lost control while descending Chekwatit Hill, a section of road known for multiple fatal crashes.

"The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road, struck a large stone along the roadside, and overturned," police said in a statement.

Uganda's Local Government Minister, Balaam Ateenyi Barugahara, who visited the accident scene, confirmed the death toll in a post on X.

"Sadly, 20 children and one adult, who happens to be the founder and director, Mr. Tadeo Ssekade, have gone to be with the Lord," the minister wrote.

Eyewitness videos circulating on social media showed the bus extensively damaged, while residents and emergency responders worked to rescue trapped passengers and evacuate the injured.

Local media reported that the pupils had visited the popular Sipi Falls tourist attraction as part of their study tour before the fatal return journey.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Uganda's Ministry of Education announced the immediate suspension of all school educational trips pending the outcome of investigations into the crash.

Education Minister John Chrysostom Muyingo said the decision was taken to prioritise the safety of schoolchildren across the country.

"As an immediate precautionary measure, we must do something about the safety of our children," he was quoted as saying by state-owned New Vision.

Uganda continues to grapple with a high rate of road traffic fatalities, with authorities frequently attributing crashes to excessive speeding, poor vehicle maintenance, dangerous road conditions and human error.

The latest tragedy has renewed concerns over the safety of school transportation following several serious bus accidents reported across the country in recent weeks.