Grief engulfed Kanyamisinga village in Kanungu District on January 4, 2026, after a sand quarry collapse claimed the lives of two men during a routine sand-loading exercise.
The deceased have been identified as Simon Izobaryomwe, 30, and Umar Mbonigaba Umar, 31. The incident occurred at around 10:00am as the two men, alongside a third worker, were loading sand onto a tipper truck.
According to police, the quarry—owned by Mbonigaba—had been in operation for more than 20 years.
Residents had previously raised concerns about its increasing instability, warning that continued excavation without reinforcement posed a serious risk.
The collapse happened suddenly, burying the truck and the two men under tonnes of sand. A survivor, Junior Tumwebaze, 24, narrowly escaped and alerted authorities.
Kigezi Regional Police Spokesperson Elly Maate confirmed the incident, saying police and Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) personnel responded promptly to the scene.
“Rescue teams used a wheel loader to excavate the site. By evening, Mbonigaba’s body had been retrieved, but Izobaryomwe’s body remained trapped under the sand,” Maate said.
Police have since cautioned quarry operators and workers to observe safety standards, noting that unregulated sand mining continues to pose a major risk to lives in the region.
