By Emem Nsini-Godwin
At least 21 people, including 20 pupils, have been killed after a school bus returning from an excursion overturned along a highway in Uganda on Thursday evening, July 16, 2026.
The tragic accident involved a bus conveying pupils of King David Junior School in Kampala, who were returning from an educational trip to the popular Sipi Falls in Kapchorwa District when the crash occurred.
According to the Uganda Police Force, the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to veer off the road before crashing into a large roadside stone and overturning.
In a statement posted on X, the police said, “The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road, struck a large stone along the roadside, and overturned.”
Authorities confirmed that the crash claimed the lives of one adult male and 20 pupils.
The police also disclosed that three adult males and several children sustained varying degrees of injuries and were rushed to hospital for medical treatment.
Photographs released by the Uganda Police showed the bus extensively damaged, lying on its side after the fatal crash.
Emergency responders and security personnel were deployed to the scene to rescue survivors and recover the bodies of the victims.
Police said investigations have commenced to determine the exact cause of the accident, while the injured, including several children, continue to receive treatment at nearby medical facilities.
The tragedy has sparked fresh concerns over road safety involving school transportation in Uganda, as authorities work to establish the circumstances surrounding one of the country’s deadliest school bus accidents in recent times.
