The State Minister for Transport, Fred Byamukama, has suspended the operations of Nile Star Bus Limited for 30 days, following an accident in the wee hours of Monday that claimed at least seven lives and left 13 others injured at Purongo Town Council in Nwoya district, along the Pakwach-Olwiyo- Karuma Highway.
“We have made statistics for the last one year from May 2025 to May 2026, these Nile Star buses have so far caused 11 accidents, and these 11 accidents have caused loss of 56 lives, those who are nursing injuries are 91 people” he said.
He added, “Those with broken legs, broken arms, the head injuries, they are 21 people, that is Nile Star buses really, we can’t allow this, you see the trend of one year, they have caused 11 accidents in various locations”.
Minister Byamukama noted that driver of the ill-fated bus that crashed on Monday, a one, Mandela Kasiim, a 64 year old elderly man was chased from YY Bus because of over drinking and causing accidents in areas of Busembatya and Kakira.
“The passengers noticed the same driver and suspected he was under the same intoxicants, they were telling him about the speed but he didn’t listen” he said.
The minister further revealed that the decision was reached after a meeting held on Tuesday at his office, where a police report from the the Directorate of Traffic & Road Safety revealed that accidents involving Nile Star Buses in the past one year, were majorly caused by the bus company’s drivers.
Following the accident on Monday, the Directorate of Traffic & Road Safety PRO SP kananura Michael revealed that eyewitness on board the bus reported that the driver had been driving recklessly throughout the journey.
“Despite raising concerns, passengers were allegedly dismissed by the conductor instead of appropriate action being taken” he said.
