The Ministry of Works and Transport has revealed that three of the four school buses involved in recent fatal road crashes across Uganda were operating without valid licences after failing mandatory mechanical inspections and being declared unfit for use.
Appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Physical Infrastructure, the Commissioner for Transport Regulation, Winston Katushabe, said the buses had been rejected during the licensing process because of their poor mechanical condition but were nevertheless returned to the road.
“These are some of the buses that were rejected because of their mechanical condition. The most recent licence expired on 18 June 2026 under the old registration plate, and the bus later obtained a new digital number plate,” Katushabe told MPs.
He said the government is yet to identify the driver of the school bus involved in the Kapchorwa crash, which claimed 24 lives and left 95 people injured. Preliminary investigations indicate that the driver was speeding, failed to negotiate a corner, and was unfamiliar with the route.
“This bus was carrying pupils of King David Junior School, Ndejje, in Makindye Division but did not have clearance from the Ministry,” Katushabe said.
The Commissioner also disclosed that the school bus involved in the 10 July railway crossing crash in Mukono District, belonging to Friendship Coaches, was being driven by Christopher Kikomeko, 48, whose driving licence expired in August 2023.
Katushabe further told the committee that the Amuria High School bus involved in the 14 July crash in Bugweri District was also operating illegally.
“The school bus was not licensed, and the driver was not accredited because he was above the maximum permitted age of 60 years,” he said.
The Bugweri crash claimed 23 lives—20 people aboard the school bus and three occupants of a truck—while nine others sustained serious injuries.
Following the revelations, Samuel Opio, the MP for Kole North, questioned how an unlicensed bus from the Central Region managed to travel hundreds of kilometres to Kapchorwa without being intercepted.
“The question is, how could the bus leave Ndejje, pass through Kampala and all the way to Kapchorwa without being detected if we have a clear enforcement mechanism?” Opio asked.
He also criticised the ministry over what he described as inadequate medical assessments during the issuance and renewal of driving licences.
“There are people who cannot differentiate between green and red. Do we conduct these medical examinations at driving permit issuance and renewal centres? Many of these drivers don’t know English. How do they read a stop sign written in English?” he asked.
The committee is continuing its inquiry into the recent wave of fatal road crashes as lawmakers push for stricter enforcement of vehicle inspections, licensing regulations and driver competency requirements.
