In the early hours of Saturday, a tragic head-on collision on the Masaka-Mbarara Road claimed the lives of three people and left three others critically injured. The accident occurred around 3 a.m. and involved a Toyota Mark X, registration number UBP 460P, and a Fuso truck, registration number UBA 414P, traveling from Kampala to Mbarara.
The collision sparked a devastating fire that engulfed the Mark X, leaving all three occupants burnt beyond recognition. The victims, later identified as Colline Kityo, 21, Vincent, and Engineer Musiime, 27, were all residents of Sembabule. The trio had reportedly attended a cultural ceremony in Mateete, Sembabule, earlier that evening before heading to Masaka town for a night out at Club Ambience.
Angella Namata, a close friend of the victims, revealed that the group had been drinking heavily before setting off on their fateful journey. “Before they left Sembabule, they drank a lot of waragi. We begged them not to drive, but they refused to listen,” Namata said.
The three occupants of the Fuso truck — Mahadi Kizito, Saadi Kizito, and Wahab Kizito — were critically injured and rushed to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital for treatment.
Police have attributed the accident to reckless driving, confirming that the driver of the Mark X was speeding and possibly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the collision. “It’s very clear that the Mark X driver was speeding and perhaps acting under the influence of alcohol,” stated Twaha Kasirye, the Masaka Region Police spokesperson. He further emphasized the dangers of drinking and driving, lamenting the increasing number of road accidents despite repeated warnings.
The collision also exposed delays in the emergency response, with residents expressing frustration over the police’s delayed arrival and lack of essential equipment, particularly a functioning fire truck. The Masaka police, it was revealed, do not currently have a working fire truck, as the only available one had been sent to Kenya for repairs. In the absence of proper firefighting equipment, a water truck provided by a Chinese road construction company operating in the area was used to extinguish the fire.
This tragic incident highlights the ongoing challenges of road safety in Uganda, particularly the perils of driving under the influence. Despite continued efforts by authorities to warn against such behavior, reckless driving remains a leading cause of fatalities on the country’s roads, leaving families and communities devastated.
