Angry parents raid Ndejje school after fatal bus crash; more details emerge on deceased school director

• Police and the UPDF secured Kings David Junior School as parents gathered after the fatal bus crash.

• The death toll has risen to 21, including school founder and director Tadeo Ssekadde.

• School officials kept parents waiting overnight while verifying information and coordinating with authorities.

• Survivors and injured pupils are being transported back to Kampala for treatment.

Tension gripped Kings David Junior School in Ndejje on Friday morning as angry parents and residents gathered outside the school seeking information about their children after a fatal bus crash in Kapchorwa District claimed 21 lives, including the school's founder and director, Tadeo Ssekadde.

Police, backed by the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), deployed at the school to contain the growing crowd after some parents reportedly attempted to force their way onto the premises overnight. 

By 9:00 am, the school gate remained shut as security personnel kept watch while meetings continued inside between school administrators, police and local leaders.

Even with repeated appeals by security personnel, many parents refused to leave. 

Some had reportedly spent the night outside the school waiting for information about survivors and those who died in Thursday night's crash.

The accident occurred as pupils were returning from a three-day educational tour of Sipi Falls in Kapchorwa. 

Authorities and Police now say the death toll has risen to 21 after the deaths of the school director and other victims.

A local leader who also serves as secretary for education for Ndejje Central Ward, Makindye Ssabagabo Municipality, said the school only began informing parents on Friday morning after holding discussions through the night.

"We are saddened by the news of the passing of Tadeo Ssekadde, the founder and director of Kings David Junior School. We got news of his passing at around 10am," she said.

She explained that school officials initially chose not to alert parents immediately after the crash as they sought to establish the facts.

"We came here at night and at first we decided not to contact the parents. We held several meetings in the night. But by morning we had to start informing people about what happened," she said.

Ssekadde was reportedly travelling with the pupils on the study tour, as was his custom whenever the school organised long-distance trips.

"The school director was in the bus that crashed together with his last-born daughter Abby. For now we do not know if she is on the list of those who died, but the director is gone," she said.

She added that another school bus had been dispatched to Kapchorwa to transport the surviving pupils, including those injured in the crash, back to Kampala for treatment.

The pupils had travelled to Kapchorwa for a three-day study tour after departing the school at about 3:00 am on Tuesday.

The councilor described Ssekadde as a hands-on school director who personally accompanied learners on educational trips.

"For the director, Mr Ssekadde, it was always his practice to travel with his students whenever they were going for such long trips. Even when they went to Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kasese, he went with them," she said.

She also explained why authorities decided to keep the school closed.

"Overnight we decided together with the school administrators and the police to keep the school gate closed. Several meetings have been taking place inside. Some parents came here last night and there was some violence as they tried to force their way inside, so we decided for the parents to first remain outside as we wait for more developments and for the survivors to return. We fear that if we let the parents in, the situation may get out of hand," she said.

Authorities are expected to provide further updates after the surviving pupils return from Kapchorwa and families are formally notified about the victims.