KAMPALA UGANDA: 17 July 2026— The Ministry of Education and Sports has issued an immediate, indefinite suspension of all school trips and educational excursions across the country following a series of devastating road accidents involving students.
The directive, announced on Friday morning, comes as the nation mourns the tragic loss of lives in recent school transit disasters – the latest was last evening when at least 20 students of King David Junior School died after the bus they were traveling in crashed in Kapchorwa District.
In a solemn address, the acting Education minister Dr J.C. Muyingo expressed deep sadness over the tragic crashes, extending heartfelt condolences to the grieving families and wishing a speedy recovery to the dozens of hospitalized learners.
”The safety and well-being of our children and students remains our highest priority as government,” the Ministry statement read. “While education trips are an important part of learning, they must never, never compromise the safety of our children.”
The sweeping directive suspends all school study trips and excursions with immediate effect. The temporary ban will remain in place until further notice while the government conducts a thorough overhaul of its transit safety protocols.
Directives for School Administrators
The Ministry has instructed the Permanent Secretary to undertake an immediate, comprehensive review of all existing school trip guidelines.
While the suspension is active, school administrators, directors, and headteachers have been strictly ordered to align with critical interim safety requirements, including: Strict Vehicle Inspections: Ensuring every vehicle hired or used for school transport is certified roadworthy and properly licensed.
Driver Vetting: Utilizing only highly qualified, licensed drivers with proven, clean safety records.
Rigorous Risk Assessments: Conducting mandatory risk evaluations prior to any planned student travel.
No Overnight Travel: Ban on nighttime transit; school organizers must ensure drivers are well-rested and avoid driving during hazardous overnight hours.
Mandatory Supervision Ratios: Ensuring an adequate, strict teacher-to-student supervision ratio is maintained for the entirety of any journey, and;
Official Authorization: Obtaining formal clearance and parental consent before organizing travel.
The Ministry of Education confirmed it is working closely with the Uganda Police Force, the Ministry of Works and Transport, and other partner agencies to investigate the exact causes of the recent crashes. The joint effort aims to implement permanent, strengthened safety measures to guarantee such tragedies are never repeated.
Proprietors, governing boards, and school transport providers nationwide are urged to comply fully with the suspension and strictly cooperate with the ongoing safety review.
