Four family members have been identified among the nine people that perished in an accident that occurred on Kampala-Jinja highway at Bulyanteete-Lugazi.
After learning about the accident yet his brother who left from Kamuli district on January 2, 2024 evening, with his wife and their two children yet their phone contacts were no longer going through, David Bakaaki together with other family members decided to go to Kawolo Hospital to check on the nine people that perished in that accident.
Upon entering the Kawolo General Hospital mortuary, in company of his cousin brother, Shaban Mugabi, the mortuary attendant uncovered the bodies of the deceased from that very accident for Bakaaki to identify his relatives. It was a moment of shock after counting four bodies instead of the three he went expecting to find in the mortuary.
Among the deceased, Bakaaki identified his brother, Robert Yafesi Zirambera (28), his wife Susan Nandego commonly known as Maama Namu and their two children, Emmanuel Musenze (3) and Jeremiah Zakayo (6).
“I was told the wife (Nandego) was admitted with serious injuries only to find her among the dead bodies. This is unbelievable, I am so shocked,” Bakaaki said while crying loudly, and making several phone calls to his relatives back home.
Bakaaki said that the deceased left Kinawempere village in Namwendwa sub-county, Kamuli district on Tuesday late evening heading to Kampala at Katwe where they stayed after enjoying the festive season in the village.
Hellen Butoto, the Ssezibwa Region Police Spokesperson said that the fatal accident that claimed nine lives occurred at around 01:00am on January 3, 2024 at Bulyantente along Kampala-Jinja highway in Lugazi Municipality, Buikwe district.
Butoto says the accident involved a single truck registration number UBN 533T, a Mitsubishi Fuso truck.
“Available reports indicated that the truck, which was carrying sacks of oranges and passengers covered with a tarpaulin, lost control on its way from Jinja to Kampala. It flipped over, and the passengers got covered with the sacks of oranges, leaving nine dead and many others injured,” said Butoto in a press statement issued on Wednesday afternoon.
The bodies of the deceased were conveyed to Kawolo General Hospital Mortuary for post-mortem examination as the victims were also taken to the hospital for medical attention.
On Friday evening, Bakaaki managed to get the bodies of the deceased from the mortuary to have them transported to his home ground at Kinawempere in Kamuli district where they are expected to be accorded a decent burial on Saturday.
The rest of the deceased from this accident include; Paul Mutebi of Sironko district, Aaron Apieun of Omerein village in Mukongo sub-county in Kumi district and Samuel Bukring.