A landlord in Wakiso District is demanding more than 200 million shillings in compensation after a Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) truck swerved off the road and crashed into his building in Kagoma township on July 2.
According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred around 1:30 pm when the driver of the UPDF truck, registration number H4DF 2945 Tata, lost control while traveling from Kampala to Bombo.
“Our building is on the side of the Bombo-Kampala highway, but I was shocked to see this truck veer from the other side and crash into the shop where I was seated,” said Mr. Charles Mubiru Mutebi, a tenant in the building.
Mr. Mubiru said he escaped without injuries, but several items in his electronics shop were damaged. “I sell electronics, and some of them, including electric kettles and a popcorn machine, were completely destroyed,” he added.
The driver of the truck sustained minor injuries and was seen bleeding, according to Mr. Mubiru.
Mr. Paddy Kakumba, the owner of the building, said he learned of the accident from one of his tenants and found that the entire building had been damaged. “The truck rammed into the beam and destroyed it. Once the vehicle, which is currently holding the beam, is removed, the building will collapse,” he explained.
Mr. Kakumba noted that his building has four rooms, all of which have developed cracks and cannot be saved. “I call upon the UPDF to cooperate with me so I can receive compensation,” he urged.
Lawrence Nuwabiine, the director of traffic and road safety, confirmed the incident and stated that investigations into the cause of the accident are underway. “It is true a UPDF truck rammed into the building along the Kampala-Bombo road, but no lives were lost,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Felix Kulayigye, the UPDF spokesperson, assured that if the investigation finds the UPDF at fault, they will compensate the building’s owner. “Let’s first get the truth, and automatically the owner will be compensated,” he stated.
 truck swerved off the road and crashed into his building in Kagoma township on July 2.){kind=link}