Gaaga Bus accident survivor seeks financial help

Laureen smiles on in times before the deadly incident. Courtesy photo.

Family and friends to Laureen Odwe Amony who is among the Kiryandongo accident survivors which claimed at least 22 people, including four children, has made an appeal to the general public for 80M in hospital bills.

The accident, described as one of the deadliest in Uganda in recent years, occurred May 25th in Kiryandongo, a town about 140 miles north of the capital, Kampala.

UG Christian News has learnt that Laureen, a Makerere Student, was hospitalized with both arms broken, and her aunt, Elizabeth Amuge, badly injured along her spinal cord and dental area.

“Amuge is currently in comma,” a statement from the family read. Altogether, they require more than 80M in medical and recovery bills.

On the 10th of June, family, friends and well wishers have organised a car wash to help raise funds for Laureen and her aunt’s medical bills and this will be at the Satellite washing bay in Kisaasi.

One car will be washed at shs. 15,000 and two cars at shs. 20,000. For all the other services that shall be availed that day like muchomo and juice, all proceeds shall go to the drive to save Laureen.

“It is four survivors of that gruesome accident that we are talking about and I believe that God let them survive for a reason. We cannot just look on as they battle for life when we can help and that is precisely why we took up this campaign.” Makerere Law Society vice president, Esther Linda Mugisha told media.

The accident involved a Gaagaa Bus, a tractor, and a beer truck in Kiryandongo along the Gulu-Kampala highway. 22 passengers died and 14 suffered serious injuries.

President Yoweri Museveni ordered three days of national mourning starting Sunday May 27. The next of kin of the dead were also awarded Shs5million each by the government and Shs3million each for the injured.

Media reports show that the Kampala-Gulu highway is accident prone and contributes a sizable percentage to the more than 9,500 people who have died on Ugandan roads in 2015 and 2017.

aaron@ugchristiannews.com