One dead as minibus rams into immigration office perimeter wall

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | One person has died and two others injured after a minibus driver lost control and knocked a motorcycle along the Kampala-Jinja road. The accident happened near the Ministry of Internal Affairs offices in Kampala on Friday.

According to eyewitnesses, the Isuzu minibus registration number UAW-298N that was heading to the city centre lost control and rammed into the wall of the Internal Affairs Ministry headquarters . It also knocked two people who were riding on a motorcycle registration number UES-978X.

The motorcycle occupants included Lubega Shafiq, 29, a passenger who died on the spot and the rider, Otol Julius was rushed to Mulago Hospital in critical condition.

Namaganda Lydia, one of the eyewitnesses said Lubega had just secured his passport from the Immigration office in Kampala when the tragedy occurred.

Some boda boda cyclists near the Ministry said that they narrowly survived the accident because they were staged close to the same spot. They however blame the accident on reckless driving.

Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire says that police are still hunting for the minibus driver who is currently on the run.

Recently, two other people were knocked dead and others injured when a police truck lost control in a similar manner and knocked several vehicles and motorcycles along the road in Nsambya.

Last year 3,663 people were killed in road accidents. The statistics indicate that more motorcyclists died last year compared to previous years; 1,064, in 2019 and 1,144 in 2020. At least 1,258 pedestrians died in road accidents last year according to the Traffic Police records filed in the annual crime report 2020.

The Acting Traffic Director Lawrence Niwabiine said that the leading causes of traffic deaths and injuries include over speeding, drunk driving, distractions to drivers, and non-adherence to traffic rules.

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