By Enock Ndyamuhakyi
Kisoro, Uganda – April 21, 2025 — A 16-year-old Congolese girl has died in a tragic accident at the Nyakabande Refugee Transit Centre in Kisoro Municipality, Kisoro District.
The victim, a resident of Kiwamgya in North Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, lost her life at around noon when she was accidentally run over by a UNHCR truck within the transit centre compound.
The motor vehicle involved, a white Isuzu FVZ truck bearing registration number UAU 728X and owned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), was being driven by 57-year-old Kule Mosheni, a Mukonjo and resident of Mpondwe, Kasese.
According to preliminary police investigations, the incident occurred as the truck was entering the compound to pick up mobile toilets (mobilets). The compound was crowded with refugees undergoing screening and registration at the time.
As the truck prepared to move forward, a scuffle broke out among the refugees trying to rejoin the registration line. In the chaos, the teenage girl was reportedly pushed and fell under the rear wheels of the moving truck, dying instantly.
Kigezi Region Police Spokesperson ASP Elly Maate confirmed the incident, stating that the scene was promptly visited by ASP Kushaba Michael and a team of officers. The body of the deceased was transported to Kisoro Hospital mortuary for a postmortem.
The vehicle involved in the incident has been impounded and is currently parked at Kisoro Central Police Station awaiting inspection by the Inspectorate of Vehicles (IOV).
Maate further noted that investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the tragic accident.
Authorities have expressed condolences to the family of the deceased and emphasized the need for enhanced crowd control measures in high-traffic refugee areas to prevent similar incidents in the future.
