Passengers’ warnings ignored before deadly Nile Star crash that killed 7

• Passengers warned the driver several times to reduce speed but he ignored them.

• The bus crashed into an oncoming trailer on the Karuma–Pakwach highway.

• Seven people died, including three who later succumbed to injuries.

• The driver is in police custody as investigations continue.

A driver of a Kampala-bound Nile Star bus ignored repeated warnings from passengers moments before a fatal crash in Nwoya District, according to a report by the Daily Monitor.

The accident happened on the Karuma–Pakwach highway in the early hours of May 4, 2026. At least seven people died and several others were injured.

Passengers said the driver, identified as Kasim Mandela Abugo, drove recklessly throughout the journey. He allegedly refused to slow down despite several pleas. Police have since detained him at Nwoya Central Police Station.

One survivor, speaking from Anaka General Hospital where he is nursing a fractured thigh, said passengers tried three times to stop the driver from speeding. He said the driver ignored them and continued at high speed.

“People got angry at him, but he ignored everyone. He nearly hit a road barricade at Wii-Anaka. He was driving very fast. Earlier, between Nebbi and Pakwach, passengers shouted, but he responded rudely,” the victim said.

The same passenger said that moments before the crash, the driver attempted to overtake two buses while climbing a section of the road. He did not notice an oncoming trailer.

Police confirmed that the bus collided head-on with the trailer.

Traffic police spokesperson Michael Kananura said four passengers died instantly. Sixteen others were rushed to hospital. Three later died, raising the death toll to seven.

Mr Kananura added that the conductor dismissed passengers’ concerns instead of taking action.

The crash involved bus registration number UBP 736U and trailer SSD 040A/SSD 498C. It occurred at about 1am.