14 Perish, 28 Injured in Devastating Kampala-Gulu Highway Bus Crash 

A devastating night-time road crash along the busy Kampala–Gulu Highway has claimed the lives of 14 people and left 28 others suffering from severe injuries. The catastrophic incident highlights the ongoing challenges of road safety and speed enforcement on Uganda’s major transport corridors.

The fatal head-on collision, which involved a passenger bus and a heavy commercial trailer, occurred on Tuesday night, July 7, 2026. According to official statements from the Directorate of Traffic and Road Safety, the crash was registered at approximately 9:34 PM at the busy Bobi Trading Centre, located along the highway.

The vehicles involved in the disaster have been identified as an Isuzu passenger bus, registration number UBE 110H, owned and operated by the OPIT Travellers Company, and a Mercedes-Benz Actros commercial trailer, bearing registration number KBS 564D/ZE 7948.

Preliminary reports compiled by traffic investigators indicate that high speed and sudden human intervention triggered the crash. Traffic Police spokesperson, Michael Kananura, detailed the sequence of events, explaining that the passenger bus was allegedly traveling at a high rate of speed when the driver encountered an unexpected obstacle.

According to Kananura, the bus driver attempted a sudden, evasive maneuver to avoid hitting a pedestrian who was actively crossing the road through the trading centre. During the abrupt turn, the driver lost absolute control of the heavy passenger vehicle. The momentum forced the out-of-control bus into the opposite lane, putting it directly into the path of the oncoming Mercedes-Benz Actros trailer and resulting in a violent, high-impact head-on collision.

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The impact caused extensive damage to both vehicles, trapping multiple passengers within the wreckage. Emergency response teams and local police units were dispatched to the scene immediately to manage the situation, extricate the victims, and secure the busy highway transit route.

The collision resulted in immediate fatalities, with 14 individuals confirmed dead at the scene due to the severity of the impact. The 28 surviving passengers, many of whom sustained critical injuries, were quickly stabilized by responders and rushed to various nearby health facilities to receive emergency medical attention.

Police enforcement teams remained at the Bobi Trading Centre scene for several hours to coordinate the rescue operations, clear the mangled wreckage from the roadway, and restore the normal flow of interstate traffic.

The identities of the deceased and the specific medical statuses of the survivors are still being processed. Traffic police have confirmed that comprehensive investigations into the exact root causes of the crash are actively ongoing, and additional structural and situational details will be made public as the inquiry progresses.

In the wake of the tragedy, the Uganda Police Force has issued a strong warning to all motorists across the country, particularly those operating long-distance commercial and passenger vehicles during night hours.

Traffic spokesperson Michael Kananura strongly cautioned drivers against reckless driving and emphasized the vital necessity of strict compliance with established speed limits, noting that driving at night introduces significant environmental hazards that require reduced speeds.

“We continue to urge all motorists to observe speed limits, particularly during night hours when visibility is reduced. Drivers must remain alert, anticipate the movement of pedestrians in trading centres and always maintain speeds that allow them to stop safely.”— Michael Kananura, Traffic Police Spokesperson