Security Meeting Called Over Bus Passenger Poisoning Claims
Passengers travelling aboard to the southwestern route have raised the alarm over suspected poisoning incidents, fingering Gateway Bus Services at the centre of the controversy.
The Kigezi Regional Police has convened an urgent security meeting today, January 24, 2025, to address a series of suspected poisoning incidents on buses.
Passengers travelling aboard to the southwestern route have raised the alarm over suspected poisoning incidents, fingering Gateway Bus Services at the centre of the controversy.
The meeting aims to resolve complaints and implement measures to prevent further harm.
“Of recent, there has been numerous public outcry over issues which, if sorted out, can prevent future insecurity, hence good and improved transport services,” Kigezi Regional Police spokesperson Elly Maate said in a January 23 letter.
Mr Maate invited all bus station managers to attend.
It remains unclear how the alleged poisoning is done or the nature of the substance used.
The urgency of the matter follows alarming reports, including an incident on January 15, 2025, when Dr Ronald Arineitwe Kibonire and a friend allegedly fell unconscious during a journey on a Gateway bus from Kampala to Kabale.
“The bus officials, upon noticing our condition, abandoned us without informing the police or assisting us in seeking medical attention,” Arineitwe recounted.
Arineitwe and his friend, both of whom fell unconscious during the journey, were left outside the bus, only to be found hours later without their belongings.
He said Kabale Police confirmed this was the ninth similar case reported in two weeks.
Asked if Gateway management had reached out to him, Arineitwe said, “They have not. These people are too arrogant.”
Maate emphasised the gravity of the situation, urging them to attend the meeting without fail.
“Of recent, there has been numerous public outcry over issues which, if sorted out, can prevent future insecurity, hence good and improved transport services,” he stated.
The meeting aims to hold bus operators accountable, address glaring safety lapses, and restore public confidence in Uganda’s transport system.
