The Uganda Police have disclosed that last week’s traffic accidents resulted in 79 fatalities and 288 injuries.
The spokesperson for the traffic police, Michael Kananura, stressed that most of the victims were either pedestrians or motorcycle riders.
According to Kananura, of the 79 people who died, 29 were motorcycle riders, 23 were pedestrians, and 9 were either motorcycle passengers or had been in collisions with other cars.
He highlighted the need for increased vigilance on the roadways by attributing the majority of the accidents to irresponsible overtaking and speeding.
One of the saddest events was the passing of attorney Raphael Okiot, who was traveling to Nkumba to represent clients in court when a truck carrying concrete toppled over his automobile.
The truck driver was quickly captured by law authorities when he tried to leave the area. Initial examinations revealed that the concrete truck’s mechanical state was dangerous.
The Ministry of Works and Transport’s (MoWT) Permanent Secretary, Waiswa Bageya, gave assurances that measures are being made to lessen the likelihood of accidents caused by vehicles in unsafe mechanical conditions.
According to Bageya, payments to SGS, the business in charge of vehicle inspections, have reached thirty percent of the necessary twenty9 billion Shillings. After a parliamentary inquiry, SGS ended its government contract, even though it had already set up six vehicle inspection centres.
After complete compensation to SGS is obtained, the government intends to assume ownership of these locations. Apart from the Nkumba collision that resulted in Lawyer Okiot’s death, Major Habibu Zamba of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) also perished in an accident in the Mabira forest.
Kananura emphasized the significance of road safety for everyone by advising all users of the road to drive, ride, or walk with the utmost caution.
