20 children and school founder killed in Ugandan bus crash

At least 21 people, including 20 schoolchildren and a school founder, were killed when a bus crashed in eastern Uganda on Thursday, July 16. The accident occurred on Chekwatit Hill in Kapchorwa district as the vehicle was returning from a study tour to Sipi Falls.

Ugandan police confirmed the bus, belonging to King David Junior School, overturned after the driver lost control. Preliminary reports indicate the vehicle suffered a mechanical fault before veering off the road and striking a large rock. The local government minister identified the adult victim as the school's founder and director, Tadeo Ssekade. Dozens of other pupils and staff were injured in the crash, with many transported to multiple local hospitals for treatment.

Emergency services and local community members responded to the scene. Kapchorwa Resident District Commissioner Stanley Bayole praised the community's overwhelming response, noting that people brought bedding, offered transport, and joined rescue efforts without hesitation. The area where the crash occurred, Chekwatit Hill, is known as a notorious accident black spot in Uganda.

The tragedy adds to a troubling pattern of fatal school transport incidents...