Government suspends school trips following deadly Kapchorwa bus crash

18 July 2026, 10:08 am

By Ronald Ssemagonja

The Government has suspended all school study trips and educational tours involving road travel following the fatal school bus crash in Kapchorwa District that claimed the lives of more than 20 learners.

The decision was announced during a joint press conference at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala by the Acting Minister of Education and Sports, Dr. John Chrysostom Muyingo, who said the suspension will remain in force until further notice as government reviews and strengthens safety measures for school transport.

Muyingo said the suspension will allow government to finalise comprehensive guidelines aimed at preventing similar tragedies in the future.

Among the new measures are mandatory mechanical inspections of school buses before every journey, clearance of drivers, approval of all school trips by District Education Officers, and closer enforcement by the Ministry of Works and Transport and the Uganda Police Force.

Government also plans to standardise school transport by requiring all vehicles carrying learners to be painted yellow.

“Today, I visited King David Junior School in Ndejje to stand with the learners, parents, teachers and staff following the tragic school bus accident in Kapchorwa. I conveyed government’s heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and wished a quick recovery to those still receiving treatment,” Muyingo said.

“Following this tragedy, government has with immediate effect suspended all school study trips and educational tours involving group travel by road, both within Uganda and outside the country, until further notice. This will allow us to strengthen safety measures and prevent a recurrence of such a devastating incident,” he added.

Muyingo reaffirmed the Ministry of Education and Sports’ commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of learners, saying government will continue working with all stakeholders to improve school transport safety.

Meanwhile, some parents and education leaders have welcomed the suspension but urged government to ensure it does not last longer than necessary.

They noted that educational tours are an important part of learning, especially for candidate classes and students studying subjects such as Geography, and called for permanent solutions to improve road safety rather than relying on temporary suspensions.

They also stressed that addressing the root causes of such accidents is the only way to prevent similar incidents in the future.

By Friday, the bodies of the deceased learners were still at the mortuary, while survivors who sustained injuries remained admitted to various hospitals receiving treatment.