By Hannah Marion Namukasa
In the early hours of Saturday, a devastating head-on collision on the Masaka-Mbarara Road resulted in the deaths of three people and left three others critically injured. The accident, which occurred around 3 a.m., involved a Toyota Mark X and a Fuso truck.
The Toyota Mark X, bearing registration number UBP 460P, collided with the Fuso truck, registration number UBA 414P, near Masaka. The impact led to a fierce fire that engulfed the smaller vehicle, incinerating the three occupants beyond recognition. They have since been identified as Colline Kityo, 21, Vincent, and Engineer Musiime, 27, all residents of Sembabule.
According to witnesses, the victims had attended a cultural ceremony in Mateete, Sembabule, earlier that evening and were heading to Masaka for a night out at Club Ambience. It has been reported that the group was under the influence of alcohol. Angella Namata, a close friend of the victims, stated, “Before they left Sembabule, they drank a lot of waragi. We begged them not to drive, but they refused to listen.”
The occupants of the Fuso truck, Mahadi Kizito, Saadi Kizito, and Wahab Kizito, were rushed to Masaka Regional Referral Hospital in critical condition. Initial police investigations suggest reckless driving as the primary cause of the accident. “It’s very clear that the Mark X driver was speeding and perhaps acting under the influence of alcohol,” said Twaha Kasirye, the Masaka Region Police spokesperson.
Emergency response was hampered due to delays in police arrival and the absence of a functioning fire truck. The only available fire truck had been sent to Kenya for repairs. In the interim, a water truck provided by a local Chinese road construction company helped extinguish the blaze.
Residents expressed frustration over the delayed emergency response and the lack of necessary equipment. “The cars collided at 3 a.m., but we wonder why it took police several hours to reach the scene. Yet, if it’s dispersing protestors, they report in time and in full force,” one resident lamented.
