President Museveni has sent condolences of Shs 30m to the family of the retired Justice Paul Mugamba Amooti who lost three family members in a car accident on Friday.
The deceased; Elly Mugamba, Tara Mugamba and Ulrich Mugamba died on Friday last week at Forest Park in Buloba, along Kampala-Mityana.
The trio who were traveling from Fort Portal to Kampala after the Christmas holiday, lost their lives when a trailer rammed into their vehicle, a Toyota Harrier registration number UBH 008G.
The deceased were laid to rest at their ancestral home in Fort Portal, Kabarole district.
In a condolence message sent to the family through the Minister for Security, Jim Muhwezi, Museveni contributed Shs 30m to the funeral.
Speaking at the funeral, Muhwezi informed the mourners that Cabinet is already debating the increase of carnage on the roads.
“There is a platform where we (Ministers) are. We are already debating about the accidents. What must the government do to mitigate this carnage we are experiencing on our roads?” Muhwezi said.
“Is it sad that people died because a trailer lost control. What caused that? Was the car in dangerous mechanical condition? Was the driver, a young boy who may not be qualified to drive a heavy commercial vehicle? What was it?” he added.
He noted that to have the accidents on the roads reduced, a lot needs to be done.
“So, we need to do a lot. These young people have lost their lives. There have been many accidents around this festive season,” he said.
Ulrich’s mother who had spoken earlier than Muhwezi also said the issue of road carnage needs urgent attention to avoid the repeat of the same.
According to police records, a total of 206 road crashes occurred during the festive season (23-26 December 2022).
47 crashes were fatal, 95 were serious and 64 were minor.
Rev Can Geoffrey Byarugaba, the Preacher at All Saints Church during the memorial service for the deceased said the government needs to take robust action to address the carnage on the roads.
“We have been observing recklessness especially with drivers driving heavy vehicles. There are young looking faces driving these heavy vehicles. Do they qualify?” he wondered.
“Government should take time and look into the age of drivers taking on heavy vehicles. The Government should look into the driving and certification of heavy trucks. Such incidents could be avoided,” said Byarugaba.
Victoria Mugamba, the sister of Ulrich, who was also involved in the Buloba accident, is fighting for her life in hospital.
