Civil society calls for protection of youth working on limestone trucks in Karamoja
The survivors were pulled out, bleeding and covered in white limestone dust
A truck carrying limestone overturned, burying two young loaders along the 'Rupa-Kenya Highway' in Rupa Subcounty, Moroto District. They were rescued and rushed to Moroto Hospital. (Photo by John Odyek.)
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Two youths from Moroto district survived a serious crash after a truck carrying limestone overturned along Rupa Road.
The two, who were working as loaders, were perched on top of the truck when it slipped and fell on its side, burying them under the limestone. Nearby good Samaritans rushed to the scene and frantically removed the stones to rescue them. Many onlookers had feared the worst, thinking the youths had died.
The survivors were pulled out, bleeding and covered in white limestone dust on Thursday, October 2, 2025. Police officers, including personnel from the Mineral Protection Unit of the Uganda Police Force, arrived shortly after and rushed them to Moroto Hospital for treatment.
One of the youth rescued form the truck carrying limestone that had overturned, burying him and another young loader. They were rescued and rushed to Moroto Hospital. (Photo by John Odyek)
Police officers at the scene where youth were rescued from the truck carrying limestone that had overturned, burying two young loaders. This was along the 'Rupa-Kenya' Highway in Rupa subcounty in Mororto District. They were rescued and rushed to Moroto Hospital. (Photo by John Odyek)
Police attributed the crash to slippery road, while some eyewitnesses blamed the driver for losing control of the heavily loaded truck. The murram road becomes muddy and slippery even after light rainfall.
Andrew Byaruhanga, the executive director of Resource Rights Africa, appealed to trucking companies and mineral operators to ensure the protection and welfare of youths engaged in loading limestone and other industrial minerals.
“When these young people get injured or die in truck-related accidents, they are rarely compensated,” Byaruhanga said.
He cited a recent case where a youth identified as Lomongin Lotee, popularly known as Macho, died in a similar crash involving a limestone truck from the Kosiroi mining area.
“The company only gave the family one million shillings for burial expenses. The truck reportedly belonged to a sub-contractor,” Byaruhanga said. “There have been several accidents and fatalities, but because this is a marginalised community, there is hardly any compensation or justice,” he added.
The late Lotee, from Lonyilik Village, Tapac sub-county in Moroto district, was the son of Lochap Loseg and Angolere Nachugee. His parents have mourned their son’s death and appealed for compensation.
Byaruhanga called on limestone processing companies in the districts of Jinja, Tororo, and Kampala, where most of Karamoja’s limestone is transported, to enforce strict compliance standards and ensure responsible business practices.
“These companies should require their transporters to follow safety regulations and provide proper compensation in case of accidents,” he appealed.
Most youths in Karamoja work in the informal mining sector, often without protective gear, social protection, or fair pay. They risk their lives daily loading heavy trucks, breaking stones and handling hazardous materials for meagre wages.
A full truckload of limestone, which can take several weeks to prepare, earns between shillings 150,000 and 175,000, far less than what gold miners in the region earn in a week.
Limestone, a versatile industrial mineral, is widely used in construction, agriculture, and manufacturing. It serves as a key ingredient in cement, steel, glass, paper, and paint production, and is also used in environmental applications such as water treatment and air purification.