Six Dead in Kampala Accident

Andrew Bagala

24 June 2011

Six people have been confirmed dead and a dozen injured in a city accident when a trailer failed to brake and rammed into three cars and several boda boda motorcycles on Mengo Hill, Central Division in Kampala.

The identities of the dead have been established yet but the bodies have been taken to the city mortuary for a post mortem. Injured people have also been admitted in Mulago Hospital.

Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesman, Ibin Ssenkumbi said the accident happened at around 5pm when a semi-trailer that was slopping from Ring Road to Mengo Hill Road failed to brake and rammed into a Toyota Ipsum before it knocked other cars.

“The driver lost control of the trailer. It was only stopped after flatten a car knocked last. We have started our investigations to establish the cause and also find out whether the trailer was in good mechanical condition and insured,” Mr Ssenkumbi said in a phone interview.

This is the third major accident in less than a week in which more than six Ugandans have died in each. Last Friday, 29 people were killed when two Ugandan buses collided in Nimule, Southern Sudan.

Mr Fred Muhanizi, a survivor of the accident, said the trailer driver was avoiding a pothole before he lost control.

Last year, police sent a guideline that barred heavy trucks from accessing the central business district of Kampala during day which was never implemented. According to the traffic laws, heavy trucks have to be inspected by Inspector of Vehicles two a year to ascertain their road worthiness but it isn’t done.

In 2009, a trailer failed to brake on Namirembe Road in the city centre and killed five people.

The number of people who died in road accidents has increased from 2,734 in 2009 to 2,954 in 2010, which represents an eight per cent rise.

A total of 14,148 people (75 per cent) were hospitalized after they suffered serious injuries after they were involved in road accidents while 1,742 people suffered minor injuries.

AllAfrica – All the Time