A Primary Seven candidate has died while two others sustained injuries after the motorcycle they were travelling on to sit their Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) crashed in Barr Sub-county, Lira District, on Tuesday morning.
The deceased, identified as Joshua Okwir Kaka, sustained serious injuries and was rushed to Lira Regional Referral Hospital, where he later died.
The three candidates, all pupils of Begomery Primary School, were travelling on a motorcycle to Ober Primary School, their designated examination centre, to sit their first set of examinations.
According to eyewitnesses, a vehicle reportedly forced the motorcycle off the road, causing it to plunge into a trench.
The other two candidates, Kizito Elwa and Ogwang Joshua Oyugi, also sustained injuries in the crash.
Oyugi suffered head and shoulder injuries and is receiving treatment at Rapha Medical Clinic in Barr, while Elwa sustained minor injuries and returned to school to sit his examinations.
Lira District Inspector of Schools Patrick Olwit confirmed the incident, attributing the crash partly to the poor state of the road and the decision by the parents to allow three children to travel on a single motorcycle.
Olwit said the PLE examinations were generally progressing smoothly across the district, with only a few minor challenges reported.
He also revealed that another candidate at a different examination centre collapsed while sitting the examinations, reportedly due to an underlying heart condition.
The pupil was given first aid and later recovered sufficiently to resume the examination.
