At least eight people lost their lives and 37 others were injured in a head-on collision between a bus and a truck in central Uganda on Monday.

The accident happened when the bus driver, who was reportedly speeding and trying to overtake, lost control of the vehicle. The bus swerved into the path of a truck coming from the opposite direction. The truck was carrying a load of maize flour.

Police confirmed the incident and have started an investigation. Regional Police Commander Twaha Kasirye said the cause of the crash was the bus driver’s excessive speed, as he was rushing to reach Kampala on time.

In the past year, Uganda has seen a 30% rise in road deaths, with 4,179 fatalities, according to the latest traffic report. In response to the increasing number of accidents, the Ugandan government has introduced new road safety rules.

These rules include a significant increase in speeding fines, raising them from $55 to $550. Under the Traffic and Road Safety (Amendment) Bill 2023, the speed limit on highways has been set at 100 kilometers per hour, and 80 kilometers per hour on paved or gravel roads.