Three perish in accident at Kakira junction

Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Three people were killed in an accident at Kakira junction along the Jinja-Iganga highway on Tuesday evening. The deceased whose identities haven’t yet been established were riding on a motorcycle registration number UET 176F, which collided with a trailer registration number KBH 501C and ZC 1930 that was heading to Kampala.

Bashir Mugoya, a motorcyclist who is currently nursing wounds at Jinja Regional Refferal hospital says that he was ferrying three youths from Nankoma sub-county in Bugiri district to Mukono municipality, where they had been promised casual jobs.

According to Mugoya, he was riding alongside the trailer from Iganga. He however says that he noticed another approaching from the opposite direction, lost control of the motorcycle and slid into the tires of the speeding trailer, which crashed the trio.

Hamis Musonge, an eyewitness blamed the accident on the narrow highway, adding that traffic is diverted to one way. He argues that Mugoya couldn’t navigate through the heavy traffic since it was rush hour. He asks Uganda National Roads Authority-UNRA to devise means of expanding the Kakira junction to ease traffic flow.

Moses Musisi, another eyewitness says that there are no speed control mechanisms within the area, since all the humps near Kakira junction are small, coupled with a lack of signposts to alert new road users on the dangers of speeding within the blackspot.

Kiira Region police spokesperson James Mubi, says that the trucker whose name has been withheld is in custody at Kakira central police station awaiting prosecution. He has rallied road users to continuously observe traffic rules and guidelines, which he says will reduce road accidents registered along the major highways.

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