BY BOY FIDEL LEON
In the wee hours of June 21, 2023 at about 3:30 am, a truck lost control hit the guardrail and plunged into River Nile at Karuma bridge claiming the lives of two people, the driver and his colleague.
The District Police Commander for Kiryandongo, Edson Muhangi, confirmed the incident and expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased.
According to Muhangi, the bodies of the two individuals who were on board the truck were recovered by a team of local divers and police officers. He said that they have informed UNRA about the accident, but he doesn’t have hope that the truck and its trailer will be recovered from the rapids.
“We have recovered the bodies of the two deceased individuals, and we are working to identify them and notify their families,” Muhangi confirmed.
The Karuma bridge is a major transportation route in northern Uganda, connecting the districts of Kiryandongo and Nwoya.
Experts say the bridge is known for its narrow lanes and sharp turns, which can make it difficult for drivers to navigate, particularly in adverse weather conditions. As a result, accidents on the bridge are not uncommon.
Following the incident, there have been calls for increased safety measures on the bridge, including the installation of guardrails and speed bumps to prevent accidents. Authorities have also urged drivers to exercise caution when driving on the bridge, and to adhere to traffic laws and regulations.
The incident has once again highlighted the need for improved road safety in Uganda. According to a 2021 report by the World Health Organization (WHO), Uganda has one of the highest road traffic fatality rates in the world, with an estimated 10,000 deaths recorded each year. The report identified a range of factors contributing to the high number of road accidents in Uganda, including poor road conditions, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of enforcement of traffic laws.
In response to these challenges, the Ugandan government has launched a number of initiatives aimed at improving road safety in the country. These include the development of a national road safety strategy, the implementation of road safety audits, and the strengthening of law enforcement efforts to ensure compliance with traffic laws and regulations.
Despite these efforts, however, road accidents remain a major concern in Uganda, particularly in rural areas where road infrastructure is often inadequate. The incident at Karuma bridge is a tragic reminder of the need for continued investment in road safety measures, and for greater public awareness of the risks associated with unsafe driving practices.
As investigations into the incident continue, authorities are calling on all road users to exercise caution and to prioritize safety when navigating the country’s roads and highways. The loss of life in this incident is a sobering reminder of the importance of road safety, and of the need for concerted efforts to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.
