URA staff among three killed after van hits elephant in Murchison park

NWOYA - A tragic incident on the Pakwach-Karuma highway has left three people dead and four others injured after their vehicle collided with an elephant inside Murchison Falls National Park.

The crash occurred on Sunday, May 24, 2026, at about 8:00 pm along the Arua road section within the park in Nwoya district.

According to police, the Toyota Hiace registration number UA 20121AA was travelling from Arua city to Kampala after official duty when it rammed into an elephant crossing the road before the driver lost control of the vehicle.

Simon Tumwesigye, the manager of URA northern region, confirmed the incident to New Vision on Monday morning.

“Yes, three of our staff died, and then four survived,” Tumwesigye said in a telephone interview with our reporter.

The deceased were identified as URA tax expert Robert Wamala Lumanyika and his colleagues Andrew Lubega and Adhora Moses Ondong.

Tumwesigye said the elephant reportedly became aggressive after the collision and charged at the vehicle.

“After the accident, the angry elephant charged and pounced on the vehicle hitting it leading to the death of the three, but a team from near Karuma and the police hurried to the scene and rescued the rest,” he said.

The injured victims were initially rushed to Kiryandongo General Hospital for treatment before later being transferred to C-Care IHK in Kampala for further management.

Bodies of the deceased were retrieved from the scene and taken to Anaka Hospital Mortuary pending postmortem examinations.

Tumwesigye said the team had been in northern Uganda conducting tax education activities for teachers ahead of the reopening of schools.

“They were sensitising teachers on the inclusion of tax education in the school's curriculum. Their last station was in Arua and they completed their program on Sunday and left Arua for Kampala, where the accident occurred,” he said.

He added that the incident happened about 10 kilometres from Karuma as the team travelled through the park route.

Road crashes involving wildlife are not uncommon within Uganda’s protected areas, especially during night travel when visibility is reduced, and animals frequently cross highways passing through national parks.

Police have urged motorists to exercise caution while driving through wildlife-protected areas, particularly at night, and to strictly observe speed limits.