17/07/2026
๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐, ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐๐น๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐, ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐บ๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ ๐๐๐ฒ๐บ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ผ๐๐ป ๐๐ป๐๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ๐?
I am deeply saddened by the lives that continue to be lostโone after anotherโespecially young children whose futures are cut short due to reckless driving during school trips and study tours. We have witnessed tragic incidents across Uganda: the heartbreaking Kapchorwa crash that claimed the lives of 21 learners from King David Primary School Ndejje; the Mwebaze High School bus from Bakka, Kakiri (Wakiso District), which collided with a train while transporting students and staff to Jinja for an educational tour after the driver failed to stop; and the repeated fatal accidents along the KampalaโGulu Highway, where reckless overtaking, speeding, and poor judgment have led to devastating loss of life. These are not mere accidentsโthey are preventable tragedies.
Let us adhere to the four core principles of road safety:
1. Awareness and Training
Drivers must be properly educated in traffic rules, defensive driving, and hazard perception. Awareness builds discipline and ensures that drivers are able to anticipate danger, make sound decisions, and protect all road users.
2. Assessment and Certification
Regular testing and certification are essential to confirm that drivers are competent, medically fit, and capable of handling the responsibility entrusted to themโespecially when carrying passengers such as students.
3. Enforcement
Traffic laws must be strictly enforced without compromise. Speeding, reckless overtaking, driver fatigue, and unroadworthy vehicles must be addressed firmly to deter negligence and promote accountability.
4. Continuous Learning
Road safety is not a one-time lesson. Drivers must continually update their knowledge, learn from past incidents, and adapt to evolving road conditions, technologies, and regulations.
If all the above are properly harnessed, we can transform our roads into a safer space for everyone.
My sincere condolences go out to all the grieving families who have lost their loved ones in these tragic incidents. May they find strength, comfort, and healing during this difficult time.
