Police have said that 83 people lost lives in road crashes in a space of one week as the country with only three days left to Christmas festivities.
General Katumba Wamala, the minister of works and transport has said that 390 road crashes were registered from 11 to 19 December 2022. Of these 71 were fatal, 202 were serious, and 117were minor. These crashes left 83 people dead. Some of the latest victims of road carnage are Serere County MP Patrick Okabe and his wife Christine Okebe who died on Monday morning along Mbale-Tirinyi road.
Katumba has listed some of the road crashes that claimed lives of people that include Toyota Fielder UBL 270S and Isuzu bus UAW561P belonging to global company. This crash occurred at Nabusanke in Kayabwe along Kampala-Masaka highway thus leaving three people dead.
“It is through this that the Ministry has come up with guidelines and measures that have to be followed by all road users during the festive season. Drivers who commit serious offences will be arrested and produced before the courts of law. Others will be detained for two hours and sensitized about traffic laws, all drivers involved in fatal accidents will have their finger prints taken,” Gen Katumba said.
The Ministry has advised drivers to be extra- vigilant as they transport passengers since some of them could load bombs disguised as luggage. Katumba reminds Bus terminal operators to scrutinize the passenger luggage before loading it on the vehicle. Last year a bomb exploded inside Swift Bus in Mpigi leaving person dead.