Weekend road crashes leave one dead, four injured

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A deadly road crash in Katwe on Saturday, February 22, claimed one life, while another serious crash in Nakasero left four people injured.

At Ring Road in Katwe, the police reported that a fatal road crash occured at around 10:00 pm. 

Officers from the 999 emergency response unit were dispatched to assist traffic officers at the scene.

The victim’s body was transported to the mortuary as investigations into the cause of the accident continue. Authorities have urged road users to observe traffic regulations and avoid reckless driving, especially at night.

In a separate incident, four people were injured in a serious road crash near Radio One in Nakasero on Saturday.

According to police, the accident occurred around 8:00 am. A rapid response team from the 999-emergency unit promptly arrived at the scene and evacuated the victims to Mulago Hospital for treatment.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation, and authorities have not yet released the identities of the victims. 

Report

Traffic Police are urging motorists to exercise caution to prevent further accidents on Kampala’s busy roads, especially on weekends.

According to the Annual Crime Report’s analysis of road crashes by day of the week, Sundays had the highest number of accidents last year.

“This could be linked to increased movement for social activities and recreational travel,” said Director of Traffic Police Lawrence Niwabiine, urging road users to exercise caution, especially during weekends.

While the report indicates Uganda saw a 19.2% decrease in traffic offences in 2024, road crashes and fatalities increased, raising concerns over road safety.

Speaking at the report's launch, Niwabiine revealed that traffic offences countrywide dropped from 528,025 cases in 2023 to 426,432 cases in 2024.

“This reduction is a result of increased enforcement, road safety awareness, and public compliance with traffic regulations,” Niwabiine said.

However, despite fewer offences, road traffic crashes increased by 6.4% in 2024, with a total of 25,107 crashes recorded, up from the previous year.

Rise in fatal crashes and casualties

Among the reported crashes, 4,434 were fatal, resulting in deaths, while 13,134 were classified as serious, involving major injuries. Another 7,539 crashes were categorised as minor, causing no significant injuries.

The number of people affected by road crashes also rose by 4.4%, with 25,808 casualties recorded in 2024 compared to 24,728 in 2023.

“We saw an increase in fatalities by 7%, while those seriously injured rose by 1.7%. Slight injuries also increased by 14.6%,” Niwabiine stated.

Peak times for road accidents

The highest number of crashes occurred between 6:00 pm and 7:59 pm, coinciding with peak evening traffic.

“During this time, we registered 3,780 crashes, the highest in the day,” Niwabiine said.

“Fatal crashes peaked at the same time, with 894 deaths recorded during this period in 2024.”

The trend suggests that crashes continued to rise into the night, pointing to poor visibility, reckless driving, and fatigue as contributing factors.