A cloud of fear and uncertainty hung over King David Junior School in Makindye on Friday as anxious parents gathered at the school, desperately waiting for news about their children who were involved in a fatal road crash during a school trip.
The usually vibrant school compound was unusually quiet this morning. Soft gospel music played through loudspeakers as parents sat in silence, some praying, others crying, while politicians, religious leaders and members of the public arrived to offer comfort and condolences.
Many parents remained glued to their phones, hoping for updates from police or the school, while also trying to separate facts from the flood of unverified information circulating on social media.
Every phone call brought either hope or heartbreak. Some parents sat motionless, unable to speak. Others broke down in tears. One woman knelt on the school grounds, clutching a rosary and praying silently that her child would be among the survivors.
“The situation is very difficult. We don’t know whether our girl is alive or not,” Peter Kawere told Uganda Radio Network as he stood beside his wife. The couple had rushed to the school after hearing about the accident but had not received any official information about their daughter’s whereabouts.
For one mother, the worst news came through her child’s own phone. She said they had been speaking throughout the day, with the child giving regular updates from the trip. When she called again later, a stranger answered and informed her that her child had died. The devastating news sent her into uncontrollable tears, triggering an emotional scene as many other parents also broke down, sharing in her grief and fearing for their own children.
Nearby, another woman collapsed in tears after learning that one of the children who died was her sister’s child. She said her sister had recently travelled to Saudi Arabia for work, leaving the child in the care of relatives.
“What am I going to tell my sister?” she cried. “How do I tell her that our baby is gone? She left him healthy and happy.”
Parents remained gathered outside one of the school’s classroom blocks as administrators worked to verify the identities of those who had died, those who were injured and those who were safe. Pupils who had not travelled on the school trip stayed under the care of teachers. Many appeared shocked and confused after learning that some of their classmates had died while others were still unaccounted for.
Police officers and soldiers were deployed across the school to maintain order as growing numbers of relatives, journalists and well-wishers arrived.
By the time this story was filed, many families were still waiting for confirmation about the fate of their children. Each phone call, police update or rumour brought renewed hope or fresh despair. Police said 21 people had died in the crash, including 20 pupils and one adult. Three other adults and several children were injured and were receiving treatment.
However, information from the school differed slightly. School officials indicated that two adults, including the school director, Taddeo Ssekadde, had died, adding to the confusion that continued to surround the tragedy as authorities worked to establish the full details-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
