The Government has immediately suspended all school trips and educational excursions across Uganda following the devastating road crash that claimed the lives of 20 pupils and one adult from King David Junior School in Kapchorwa. Education and Sports Minister John Chrysestom Muyingo announced the drastic measure on Friday, saying the safety of learners must come […]
The Government has immediately suspended all school trips and educational excursions across Uganda following the devastating road crash that claimed the lives of 20 pupils and one adult from King David Junior School in Kapchorwa.
Education and Sports Minister John Chrysestom Muyingo announced the drastic measure on Friday, saying the safety of learners must come before educational excursions.
The decision follows Thursday’s horrific crash in Chekwatit Village, Kawowo Sub-county, Kapchorwa District, where a school bus carrying pupils from an educational tour to Sipi Falls overturned after the driver reportedly lost control.
Addressing journalists, the minister questioned whether school trips were worth the growing loss of children’s lives.
“Educational trips are important, but are they more important than the lives of our children?” he asked.
Muyingo declared that all school trips and educational excursions are suspended with immediate effect until further notice, saying the ministry will not stand by as more children continue to die in preventable accidents.
“We are not going to wait. We are not going to look on as our children are dying,” she said.
The minister directed the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary to immediately review the national guidelines governing school trips and excursions, noting that although safety guidelines already exist, some schools have failed to implement them.
She said the review will be conducted in collaboration with the Uganda Police Force to strengthen safety measures before schools are allowed to resume educational travel.
The minister also reminded all schools that they remain obligated to comply with the existing safety requirements issued by the Ministry of Education and Sports.
Speaking on Friday while visiting the school for assessment of the situation , the Minister clarified that the school activities and learning have been suspended for two weeks as investigations go on. He further noted that out of 936 learners in the school, 217 went for the school trip in two buses and two other cars. The bus that had 107 children crashed, killing 21 on the spot, including five teachers. He explained that 44 are injured and continue to receive treatment at Mbale Referral and Bulambuli hospital, among others.
According to the Minister, the government through the Ministry of Education, Youths and Children Affairs is making arrangements to ensure that all learners and teachers who survived or are in need of specialised care return today.
His announcement came as government leaders visited survivors admitted in hospitals across the Elgon sub-region.
Meanwhile, Local Government Minister Balam Barugahara praised the extraordinary compassion shown by residents of Kapchorwa, saying he had never witnessed such kindness.
After touring hospital wards where injured pupils are receiving treatment, Balam said many local women had voluntarily abandoned their daily activities to care for the children as though they were their own.
“I found two or three women beside every child, caring for them like mothers,” he said.
According to the minister, some of the women travel more than 20 kilometres every day carrying blankets, bed sheets and other necessities to comfort the injured children.
“They are changing these children, covering them with blankets and staying beside them. Doctors are paid to do their work, but these women are simply acting out of love. The people of Kapchorwa deserve medals,” Balam said.
He thanked medical teams and health facilities handling the emergency, including Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, Muyembe Health Centre in Bulambuli District, Kaserem Health Centre and Kapchorwa Hospital, where dozens of injured children are receiving treatment.
The minister revealed that some children suffered extremely severe injuries, including traumatic head injuries and abdominal injuries requiring specialised surgery, prompting transfers to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital for advanced care.
Government officials say every effort is being made to save the remaining survivors while investigations into the cause of the deadly crash continue.
On Tuesday this week July 14, 2026, in Nawangisa Village along the Mbale-Iganga Highway in Bugweri District, a similar crash happened involving an Isuzu bus registration number UA551ED and a Mercedes Benz Actros truck registration number UBB269V.
The bus, owned by Amuria High School, was transporting 73 students from St. Paul Secondary School in Katakwi to Kasenyi Landing Site in Entebbe for a geography tour when the accident occurred at approximately 4:45am.
According to preliminary findings by police, the bus collided with a stationary trailer from behind. The driver of the bus, identified as Kasakya Abdallah, aged 68, died at the scene.
Police confirmed that 15 other occupants were injured, including students, a teacher and the conductor. The injured victims were evacuated to Iganga General Hospital where they are receiving medical attention.
Last week , on July 10, 2026, a Friendship Coaches bus carrying students and teachers from Mwebaze High School in Wakiso District collided with a Uganda Railways train at Namumira Village, Mukono District.
Police said the bus had been hired to transport students and teachers for a study tour to Jinja and was carrying approximately 100 passengers at the time of the crash.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the bus allegedly failed to stop at a designated railway crossing before attempting to cross the railway line, leading to a collision with the approaching train.
One female adult, identified as the wife of the school head teacher, died at the scene, while several other passengers sustained injuries and were taken to Mukono General Referral Hospital and other nearby health facilities.
