At least a dozen people are feared dead and many others critically injured after a YY Coaches bus overturned and burst into flames along the Nyenga-Kisoga stretch of the Jinja-Mukon-Katosi highway in Makindu village, Buikwe District, on Monday evening.
The tragic crash occurred at around 4:30pm when the bus, registered UAV 701C, en route from Kampala to Tororo, reportedly lost control, rolled several times, and caught fire—trapping passengers inside its burning wreckage.
Moses Kigongo, one of the survivors, blamed the accident on speeding and a near-collision with a motorcycle.
“The driver was speeding,” he said. “When we reached Makindu, there was a boda boda carrying firewood. The driver tried to dodge him, but in the process, the bus veered off the road, plunged into a trench, and overturned several times.”
Witness accounts corroborated Kigongo’s version of events, saying the bus driver swerved sharply to avoid hitting the motorcycle rider.
That split-second decision, they said, sent the vehicle tumbling off the tarmac before it ignited in a fiery blaze.
Survivors and residents described scenes of horror as flames engulfed the mangled bus. Trapped passengers could be heard screaming for help, many of them unable to escape the blaze.
Several residents rushed to the scene with jerrycans of water and rudimentary tools to try and free victims, but their efforts were quickly overwhelmed by the intensity of the fire.
Emergency response was slow. Locals say it took fire and rescue teams more than an hour to reach the site.
By the time they arrived, many lives had already been lost.
Isaac Ssebandeke Walugembe, the Assistant Resident District Commissioner of Buikwe, who arrived at the scene shortly after the blaze was extinguished, confirmed that only 20 passengers had been rescued.
“The severely injured have been taken to various hospitals,” he said, though he did not specify how many fatalities were recorded.
As of Monday night, officials had yet to release an official number of the dead, but preliminary estimates suggest dozens perished in the accident, with others admitted in critical condition at nearby medical centres.
"It is with deep regret that we inform the public of an incident involving one of our coaches along the Mbale route," YY Coaches and Courier Services, the operator of the ill-fated bus, said in a statement.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected."
The transporters said they were working closely with the authorities and pledged support to the victims and their families.
The tragedy has renewed public anger over road safety, especially on the Nyenga-Kisoga route.
Residents criticised the poor state of the road, which they say is riddled with gaping potholes despite being constructed less than four years ago.
Many called on government to urgently address both infrastructure and enforcement issues.
According to the 2024 Police Annual Crime Report, Uganda recorded 25,107 road crashes last year.
Motorcyclists remain the most vulnerable, with 1,720 deaths reported. Speeding and careless overtaking continue to be the top causes of fatal accidents.
Authorities are expected to launch a formal investigation into the Buikwe crash. Meanwhile, the nation mourns yet another avoidable loss of life on its roads.