Students cheat death as sugarcane truck overturns in Masindi
"We were walking home from school when the truck overturned. Two of my colleagues were seriously injured, one suffered a broken arm while another fractured a leg," she said from her hospital bed.
Masindi: Four students of Green Valley Secondary School and a truck turn man are nursing injuries after a sugarcane truck overturned and fell on them in Nyamigisa Cell along the Masindi–Hoima Road on Saturday evening.
The accident, involving truck registration number UBL 149G, occurred at around 5:45 p.m. as the truck negotiated a corner while heading towards Masindi Town.
The injured students were initially rushed to Nyamigisa Health Centre, while two who sustained serious injuries were later referred to Masindi General Hospital. All victims are reported to be in stable condition.
According to Kenneth Enemeria, the truck’s turn man, the vehicle had been transporting sugarcane from Kikingura Village in Bujenje County to Kiryandongo Sugar Factory when it developed mechanical problems.
“We were returning from Kikingura Village and we were heading to Kiryandongo Sugar Factory. The truck developed mechanical problems and overturned on my side. I’m feeling pain in my ribs but I will be fine,” Enemeria said.
John Murungi, an eyewitness said the driver fled immediately after the crash. “The driver fled the scene immediately after the incident. He stopped a motorcycle rider who was heading towards Masindi Town and escaped,” Murungi said.
Asaheri Tumusiime, a resident of Kisengya Cell in Nyangahya Division, said he was alerted by a phone call that one of his neighbour’s children had been involved in the accident.
He said residents, assisted by police, rescued the students who had been trapped beneath the sugarcane before they were rushed to hospital.
“The injured were first taken to Nyamigisa Health Centre, while two students with serious injuries were referred to Masindi General Hospital. Fortunately, all of them are in stable condition,” Tumusiime said.
Nyamigisa Cell Defence Chairperson Benjamin Katusiime said he immediately informed police after learning about the accident. He urged drivers transporting sugarcane to exercise greater caution, saying reckless driving continues to endanger other road users.
Suzan Kugonza, one of the survivors said she and her classmates were walking home from school when the truck overturned onto them.
“We were walking home from school when the truck overturned. Two of my colleagues were seriously injured, one suffered a broken arm while another fractured a leg,” she said from her hospital bed.
Marion Mbabazi,Kugonza’s mother, thanked God that her daughter survived and appealed to truck drivers to prioritize the safety of pedestrians and other road users.
ASP Solomon Mugisa, the Albertine North Region Community Liaison Officer and Acting Regional Police Spokesperson confirmed the accident, saying investigations are underway.
He said preliminary findings suggest the truck’s poor mechanical condition may have contributed to the crash.
“Some drivers have a tendency of driving under the influence of drugs, including opium and marijuana. As police, we advise drivers to always drive when they are not under the influence of drugs,” Mugisa said.
The latest incident adds to a series of crashes involving sugarcane trucks in the Bunyoro sub-region.
Last month, three members of the same family died after a sugarcane truck collided with a motorcycle along the Kampala–Gulu Highway in Kiryandongo District. The victims were identified as Kajura Fred, Naluyange Oliver and Birungi Christine.
In December last year, three cane cutters were killed after a sugarcane truck overturned at Zebra Trading Centre. During the same month, two workers attached to Kinyara Sugar Limited died in a head-on collision involving company trucks in Nyantonzi, while another crash involving a sugarcane tractor claimed one life and left another person injured.
The same year, two teenagers were killed at Kinogozi Trading Centre in Karujubu Division after they were struck by a speeding lorry transporting bagasse from Kinyara Sugar Factory.
Earlier, in 2022, five sugarcane cutters attached to Kinyara Sugar Limited lost their lives in a road crash at Bujenje Trading Centre while being transported from Kinywamurara Village.
On July 10, 2026, authorities in Masindi Municipality banned the movement of sugarcane and bagasse trucks through the town’s central business area as part of efforts to improve sanitation and beautify the municipality ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The executive order, which takes effect on July 13, 2026, is aimed at addressing persistent littering caused by sugarcane waste that has clogged drainage channels, damaged roads and created public health concerns.
Masindi Municipality Mayor Rogers Amanyire said the municipality had witnessed rampant spillage of bagasse and sugarcane peels by trucks transporting sugarcane through the town centre.
“The continued littering of sugarcane waste has blocked drainage channels, damaged roads and posed public health risks. This practice violates the Public Health Act, the Physical Planning Act 2010 and the Municipal Solid Waste Management By-Laws,” Amanyire said.
Under the directive, the selling and loading of sugarcane on streets, pavements and road reserves within the central business area has been banned, except in designated areas. The order also prohibits dumping sugarcane waste and bagasse on streets, drainage channels and open spaces.
Sugarcane transporters will now be required to use alternative routes, including Kamurasi–Ihungu–Hoima Road, Kyema–Kiswata–Kihuuba–Kibwona–Biiso Road, and Kyema–Kamudiini–Kigulya–Mirya–Kampala Road.
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