Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Monitor Reporter
Published on 2024-01-28 15:14:39
Two people have been confirmed dead and eight others seriously injured after a Fuso truck collided with boda boda riders and pedestrians at Kawaala junction in Nabweru, Nansana Municipality in Wakiso District. The crash involved Motor vehicle No. UAQ 539E Mitsubishi Fuso & Motorcycles No. UFS 111, UEP 598K, and UFU 872P (all Bajaj Boxers), according to traffic police spokesperson, SP Michael Kananura.
The deceased, whose particulars were not readily available, were identified by police as a motorcycle rider and a passenger. The injured were rushed to Mulago national referral hospital following the 12:40 pm Sunday crash. Preliminary reports indicate that the driver of the ill-fated truck, en route from Kazo side sloping into the junction, failed to brake and collided with the motorcycles. The bodies have been conveyed to Mulago mortuary for postmortem, and both the motor vehicle and motorcycles have been towed to Nabweru Police Station pending inspection.
The police are currently conducting investigations into the cause of the crash and are also searching for the truck driver who is on the run. Road crashes are common in Uganda, with the police attributing them to human error as the leading cause.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), deaths resulting from road crashes in Uganda are estimated at 7,315 annually, almost twice the figures reported to the police. The annual traffic and crime report for 2021 revealed that 81% of the crash victims were males and 19% were females. However, WHO reported that 95% were males and 5% were females, with an estimated 16 deaths per 100,000 population.
A report authored by Dr. Charles Ayume, the Koboko Municipality MP and chairperson of the Health Committee in Parliament, highlighted that the burden of treating road crash victims in government regional referral hospitals across the country amounts to Shs236.3 million daily. The government spends Shs86.2 billion on treatment every financial year, which is a significant percentage of the national health budget. Dr. Ayume emphasized that injuries caused by road accidents are costly health-wise, socially, and economically.
