At least 40 students of Kirewa Senior Secondary School in Tororo District are nursing injuries following a serious road accident on their way to a patriotism event.
The students, all between Senior One and Three, were being transported in an overloaded Isuzu truck, registration number UBF 785R, which reportedly failed to navigate a sharp bend near Nagongera Town Council along the Nagongera- Busolwe road.
Among the injured are Grace Ayo, Teteza Awino, Mary Athieno, Jane Akoth, Evelyn Achieng, Prossy Akoth, and Christine Nyadoi.
Others Jane Apio, Mercy Apoya, Simon Peter Okumu, Brian Geno Were, John Paul Oketch, Lawrence Ochieng, and Chris Okello
The students were en route to Mahanga Senior Secondary School for a joint patriotism pass-out ceremony for West Budama North and North East constituencies, which was expected to host over 1,000 students.
Peter Okello, one of the survivors, recounted the horrifying moment.
“We were inside the truck, over 120 of us. When we reached a sharp bend, the driver failed to control the vehicle and we fell into a huge hole,” he said.
Tereza Achar, a Senior Three student, blamed the school administration for ignoring their concerns.
“I was refusing to board the truck since it was full, but teachers insisted. They didn’t listen to us,” she said.
When the Nile Post visited Tororo Hospital, an ambulance donated by the Machika Foundation was still ferrying injured students from Nagongera Health Centre IV for better medical attention.
Many of the victims were in severe pain after suffering injuries to their backs, heads, and legs, injuries that required X-ray examination.
However, the hospital’s X-ray machine was out of service, complicating treatment efforts.
Richard Machika, director of the Machika Foundation, stepped in to cover the cost of X-ray services at a nearby private health facility.
"This is what I will fight for when I join Parliament. How can a whole hospital not have a functioning X-ray? And how can a big government school still use trucks to ferry students? This must change,” Machika said.
Tororo District Chairperson John Okea condemned the school’s transportation method and vowed to hold the administration accountable.
“Trucks are not allowed to carry students. Learners are not sand or bricks. We must eliminate this practice from our district,” Okea emphasized.
District Traffic Officer Aisati Nandutu confirmed the accident and noted that investigations are ongoing.
She warned that if school officials are found culpable, they will face the law.
This is not the first time students in West Budama counties have been involved in such incidents. Authorities are now under pressure to ensure that student safety is prioritized and transportation guidelines strictly enforced.
