By Aaron Okotel
BULAMBULI
A five-year-old girl has died in tragic accident involving a Mitsubishi Fuso on the Mbale-Bulambuli highway, police have said.
The accident occurred at approximately 2:40 PM on Saturday, 27th December, 2025 at Budenge Village. The victim, identified as Hilda Khalayi, was the daughter of David Makayi, a resident of the same village.
According to Elgon Regional Police Spokesperson, SP Rogers Taitika, the young girl was walking with a group of people when she reportedly made an abrupt move to cross the highway. She was struck by a white Mitsubishi Fuso, registration number UBQ 671D, and died instantly at the scene.
The vehicle was being driven by Deo Mupanda, a resident of Namayonyi Village in Mbale’s Northern Division.
Following the collision, a team of investigators—including the Regional Traffic Officer (RTO) for Elgon and the District Traffic Officer (DTO) for Sironko—visited the scene to conduct a preliminary assessment.
Police says the driver, Deo Mupanda, is currently detained at Sironko Central Police Station (CPS) whereas the Mitsubishi Fuso has been impounded and parked at the IUIU Traffic Checkpoint pending inspection by the Inspector of Vehicles (IOV).
By press time, Little Hilda’s body had been transported to Mbale City Mortuary for a postmortem examination.
In the wake of the tragedy, Rogers Taitika issued a stern reminder to parents and guardians about the dangers of the highway.
“We shall not get tired of reminding adults to keep children safe,” Taitika said. “We urge everyone to get a firm hold of a child’s hand when walking along roads or in busy places to prevent such avoidable loss of life.”
