Parliament on Wednesday renewed calls for urgent action to improve road safety following a fatal bus crash that killed at least 15 people and injured 24 others along the Kampala–Gulu highway.
Lawmakers urged the government to enforce existing road safety measures and address longstanding infrastructure and vehicle safety concerns.
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa described the crash as another painful reminder of Uganda’s road safety crisis and called on the government to treat road crashes as a national priority.
“Road safety is a very, very, very big issue. We’ve lost colleagues here before, we’ve lost relatives, we’ve lost our constituents, we’ve lost many people. It is an issue which all of us need to come and put our hands together to see how best we can promote road safety,” Tayebwa said.
He was reacting to information provided by Gulu City MP Martin Mapenduzi about the crash, which occurred on Tuesday night along the Kampala–Gulu highway. The accident is believed to have caused the death of 15 people and injured 24 others.
Tayebwa asked Members of Parliament to observe a minute of silence in honour of the victims and urged the Prime Minister to coordinate the government’s response to the tragedy.
The debate that followed saw legislators from across the political divide express concern over the growing number of fatal road crashes and the slow implementation of previous parliamentary resolutions on road safety.
Kalungu West MP Joseph Ssewungu blamed the rising number of accidents on poor road infrastructure, weak enforcement of traffic regulations and unsafe vehicles.
He cited the increasing involvement of heavy Sinotruck vehicles in fatal crashes, particularly along the Masaka highway, and questioned whether speed governors, once mandatory on public service vehicles, were still being enforced.
Ssewungu also criticized the state of many roads, saying several highways lack proper road markings, reflective paint and warning signs, making night travel particularly dangerous.
He further raised concerns over excessively bright motorcycle headlights, arguing that they impair the vision of other motorists and contribute to crashes.
“People are dying every day on our roads. The number is far more painful than what we discuss here, and something must be done by the government,” he said.
Kibanda North County MP Linos Ngompek reminded Parliament of another devastating road crash that occurred in Kiryandongo in October 2025, where 64 passengers died in a head-on collision involving buses.
He said families affected by that tragedy are still waiting for financial support promised by President Yoweri Museveni.
According to Ngompek, the President pledged five million shillings to each family that lost a relative, and one million shillings to every injured survivor, but the payments have yet to be made.
Ngompek also proposed mandatory medical examinations for drivers whenever they renew their driving permits, arguing that regular health assessments could help identify motorists who are medically unfit to operate vehicles.
Pakwach District Woman MP, Jane Pachuto Avur, urged the Ministry of Works and Transport to establish a system for quickly removing disabled vehicles from highways, noting that stationary trucks continue to cause fatal crashes.
She proposed designated holding yards where broken-down vehicles could be towed until owners complete repairs.
“We are losing very productive Ugandans that could really contribute to the development of this country because of such careless, reckless and unmanaged situations,” she said.
Hoima City Woman MP, Asinansi Nyakato questioned the government’s progress in implementing resolutions passed by the 11th Parliament aimed at reducing road crashes.
She recalled that Parliament had resolved to reinstate mandatory speed governors for public service vehicles and require owners of broken-down vehicles to work with police to have them towed from highways at their own cost.
Nyakato asked the Minister of Works and Transport to provide an update on the implementation of those resolutions, noting that senior government officials, including the Prime Minister, had participated in discussions that led to the commitments.
