MUKONO DISTRICT – A routine morning commute turned chaotic on Thursday when a passenger train rammed into a cross-border bus at the Namumira railway crossing along Katosi Road. The incident, which occurred at approximately 6:30 a.m., resulted in significant damage to both vehicles but, miraculously, no casualties.
The collision involved a Uganda Railways passenger train, service 73U32, operating on the Mukono-Kampala route, and a Trinity Express bus with registration number RAH 629B. The bus was on an international journey, having departed Nairobi, Kenya, at 4:30 p.m. the previous day, en route to Kigali, Rwanda with 43 passengers on board.
According to preliminary reports from the Railway Police, the cause of the accident appears to be a clear failure by the bus driver to yield. The driver, identified as Eliud Kuria, was arrested at the scene and is currently held at Kyetume Police Station for further questioning and investigation.
“Preliminary findings indicate that the driver of the bus failed to stop at the railway crossing,” said Police Spokesperson Patrick Onyango. “We are also investigating allegations of overspeeding and possible influence of intoxicating substances.”
This claim was supported by the bus conductor, who informed authorities that the driver was chewing miraa (khat) at the time of the accident, which may have severely impaired his alertness and judgment. While some local reports suggested a lack of adequate warning signs at the crossing, officials were quick to emphasize the paramount responsibility of drivers to exercise caution and adhere to traffic laws, especially at railway crossings.
“The URC Act of 1992 is clear: trains have the right of way. It is incumbent upon all motorists to stop, look, and listen before proceeding across any rail line,” stated Benon Kajuna, Managing Director of Uganda Railways Corporation.
The impact significantly damaged the rear section of the Trinity bus. The train’s front locomotive was derailed and suffered substantial damage, forcing the temporary suspension of all rail services on the line. The accident also paralyzed road traffic along the busy Mukono-Katosi route for several hours.
The incident stranded over 300 combined passengers from both vehicles. Uganda Railways Corporation issued an apology for the disruption and announced that engineers were working tirelessly to clear the wreckage and restore full service by Thursday evening.
This event marks the second such accident at the Namumira crossing in less than a year, raising serious public concerns about the safety measures and driver awareness at railway crossings throughout the region.
