Truck carrying sugarcane overturns in Kamuli, three dead

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Police in Kamuli district have launched an investigation into the possible cause of a road crash in which three people died and seven others were critically injured.

The accident, which occurred on May 7, 2025, at about 8:00pm involved a Tata truck with registration number UBM 106Q. It took place at Nawanyago Trading Centre along the Kamuli–Jinja Highway.

According to preliminary police investigations, the vehicle, which was loaded with sugarcane, was heading from Kamuli to Jinja district.

“On reaching Nawanyago, the driver lost control and the heavily loaded vehicle overturned, killing three people instantly and leaving seven critically injured who were seated on top of the canes,” said Michael Kasadha, the Busoga North police spokesperson.

He identified the deceased as Nicholas Koozala, 25, and Derrick Kibikyo, 16, both residents of Itukulu village in Bukaya zone, and Asadi Ssajjabi, 26, a resident of Buwolero–Mawolero zone, Buwenge Rural in Jinja district.

He said the bodies were taken to Kamuli General Hospital for postmortem, while the seven, who are yet to be identified, were rushed to unknown health facilities for medical attention.

The scene was visited by traffic police officers, and the vehicle was towed and parked pending inspection.

The driver fled the scene after the incident, and a manhunt is underway to apprehend him.

“We re-echo our warning to the sugarcane transporters and loaders to take road safety measures seriously in their operations. The practice of travelling on top of heaped cane endangers lives,” he said.

Aggrey Kafuko, a boda boda rider at Nawanyago stage, said the truck, which was overloaded with sugarcane, was in a sorry state.

“As you’re climbing uphill into the trading centre, the truck lost control and overturned multiple times. The sugarcane loaders who were seated on top of the loaded canes got injured, as three lost their lives instantly,” he said.

Rasid Gulale, who operates a chapati stall, said that as he was serving his clients, they heard people screaming for help. When they rushed to the scene, they found three lifeless bodies on the ground.

In February this year, on the Jinja–Kamuli road, another sugarcane truck lost control and overturned multiple times at Buwenge Trading Centre, leaving three people dead.

According to the 2024 police report, 25,107 road accident cases were reported, compared to 23,608 in the previous year.