MUKONO – Police in Mukono have arrested the driver of the bus that collided with a train in July, killing a teacher and injuring dozens of students during a school trip.
The suspect, identified as Christopher Kikomeko, was apprehended over the weekend after spending 51 days on the run following the July 10, 2026 crash.
Traffic Police spokesperson Michael Kananura said Kikomeko was arrested at about 11:00pm after detectives, working with intelligence teams, traced him to Mukono.
Kananura said the suspect is expected to appear in court this week and face 44 charges arising from the crash.
The charges include reckless driving, causing death by reckless driving, 40 counts of causing bodily injury and causing damage to a railway train.
The accident occurred at Namumira-Bukasa Village along Katosi Road, where a Friendship Coaches bus carrying students of Mwebaza High School, Kakiri, was heading to Jinja for an educational trip.
According to police, the bus attempted to cross the railway line despite warnings to stop. A police officer reportedly tried to halt the driver, but he continued onto the crossing and was struck by an approaching train.
The collision killed a female teacher at the scene and left several students injured.
“We have been looking for him until last night when, at around 11:00pm, our intelligence teams managed to trace and arrest him in Mukono,” Kananura said.
He added that the suspect would be produced in court once the necessary procedures are completed.
The arrest comes amid renewed scrutiny of road safety during school trips following a series of deadly crashes involving students in July.
The Mukono crash was followed days later by another major accident in Bugweri District, where a bus carrying 73 students of St. Paul Secondary School, Katakwi, reportedly rammed into a stationary trailer along the Iganga highway.
On July 16, another tragedy occurred at Chekwatit Hill along the Kapchorwa-Mbale Road, when a bus carrying pupils from King David Junior School in Sipi Falls overturned while descending the steep section of the road.
The crash claimed 24 lives, including 23 pupils, while more than 20 others were injured. Police attributed the accident to mechanical failure.
The succession of fatal incidents involving schoolchildren during the July holiday period prompted the government to suspend school trips nationwide as authorities moved to tighten safety measures for educational tours.
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