The tragic deaths of four people in a commuter taxi accident in Buyende District have reignited long-standing concerns over the dangerous and poorly maintained road network in eastern Uganda.
The victims — three men and one woman — perished late Friday night when the taxi they were traveling in veered off the narrow, slippery road and plunged into the Nalujjo Swamp in Kagulu Sub-county. The vehicle, bearing registration number UBD 160F, was en route from Buyende to Kaliro District when the tragedy struck.
Eyewitnesses say the vehicle lost control around midnight, a time when community patrols are typically active due to rising incidents of cattle theft. Local resident Godfrey Kadogo, who was among those on patrol, said they watched helplessly as the taxi sank into the swamp’s deeper sections.
“We rushed to the scene and tried to help, but it was too late. By the time police divers arrived, everyone had drowned,” Kadogo recounted somberly.
Moses Loota, a boda boda rider who was trailing the ill-fated taxi, blamed the accident on the road’s appalling condition. “The surface is narrow, with eroded shoulders, and the drainage is a disaster. Culverts collapse every rainy season, and yet no one fixes them,” he said.
Loota’s frustrations echo those of many in the region who have long decried the lack of meaningful intervention by the Ministry of Works and Transport. According to residents, the stretch through Nalujjo Swamp has claimed multiple lives over the years, especially during wet conditions when the road is nearly impassable.
“There is no bridge, no guardrails, nothing. Just a death trap we’re forced to use every day,” Loota added.
The deceased were temporarily laid out at Mulali Primary School playground before being taken to Kidera Health Centre IV for postmortem examinations.
Busoga North Police Spokesperson Michael Kasadha confirmed the deaths and stated that investigations are underway to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.
However, for the people of Buyende and surrounding areas, the facts may already be painfully clear: without urgent investment in road safety infrastructure, these avoidable tragedies will continue.
As the community mourns, many are left asking: how many more lives must be lost before action is taken?