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Residents of Kihunda village in Sheema District were left in shock on Monday afternoon after they were treated to the sad news of the untimely passing of a teenage girl in a road crush.

Abella Amutusimire had only recently celebrated her success with the release of the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) 2023 results, little knowing her life would be cruelly cut short.

The 17-year-old, who had been living with her father, Rev. Erisam Bishanga in Kyamuhunga where he was serving as a priest at Kyamuhunga COU under the West Ankole Diocese, met her death on her way from seeking admission to S.5 at Kibingo Girls School.

Amutusimire who had been a student at Kibingo Girls in Sheema Municipality from S.1-S.4, had received her S.4 exam results which she had passed with 32 aggregate, and in Division 1 and had moments before her demise, been admitted and offered Geography, Entrepreneurship and Agriculture as her studying combination for S.5, but she will not live to realise her dream.

Kibingo Girls school administration, equally in shock, could only release an announcement of the death of the young girl and by press time, burial arrangements had not been finalised.

Greater Bushenyi region police spokesperson, SP Martial Tumusiime, in a statement, said the incident happened at Kitwe trading centre in Rwentuha Town Council when a Sino truck registration number UAZ 831K knocked Amutusimire who had fallen off a bodaboda registration number UEY 741L.

“It’s alleged that today 19/02/2024 at about 1430/c the rider of motorcycle UEY 741L was carrying a passenger (lady) from Sheema side going towards Bushenyi. On reaching Rwentuha trading centre, the rider saw a Sino truck in the side mirror following them from behind, he swerved to his left to give way to it, and in the process, he knocked sand and the passenger fell off the motorcycle and died instantly,” Tumusiime said.

The rider, Clinton Niwetwesiga, 24, who was a brother to the deceased, was rushed to Kitwe Clinic for first aid.

According to Tumusiime, the Police in Rwentuha led by Sgt Kenneth Mutange, swung into action, made an immediate visit to the scene, and drew a sketch of the scene to aid investigations. 

Tumusiime said the body of the deceased was taken to KIU Teaching Hospital for a postmortem while the driver of the truck was in Police custody.