news 21 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Bugiri Fisheries Officer Dies in Tororo-Jinja Highway Crash Amid Taxi Passenger Race
Immaculate Wereh, Bugiri District's Fisheries Officer, was killed when a passenger taxi overturned on the Tororo-Jinja Highway due to a driver racing for passengers. Six others were critically injured, and the driver fled the scene as police launch a manhunt. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/bugiri-fisheries-officer-killed-in-highway-crash-as-taxi-driver-flees-5431026
Immaculate Wereh, the Fisheries Officer for Bugiri District, lost her life in a tragic road accident on Monday at Papoli Trading Centre along the Tororo-Jinja Highway.
The incident involved a passenger taxi (UBR 018F) heading from Tororo to Kampala. It lost control while overtaking, swerved off the road, and flipped multiple times around 1:00pm.
Bukedi South police spokesperson Moses Mugwe reported that the crash stemmed from the driver competing with another unidentified taxi for passengers waiting at Mile 11. Both drivers sped up after receiving calls about the group, leading to reckless maneuvers near a cargo truck.
Six other passengers suffered serious injuries and were rushed to facilities like Tororo District Referral Hospital. Their identities remain unknown due to their critical states.
The driver fled after the crash, prompting a police manhunt. Authorities cited speeding, reckless driving, and poor road use as factors, with full investigations underway. Mugwe urged caution in choosing transport.
Uganda recorded 5,383 road deaths in 2025, averaging 15 daily, per recent Traffic Police data.
Source: Daily Monitor