Authorities in Kiryandongo District have launched investigations into individuals posing as relatives of victims from last week’s tragic Kampala–Gulu highway accident in an attempt to fraudulently claim compensation.

The fatal collision occurred last week in Kitaleba village, near Asilli’s farm in Kiryandongo Sub-county, leaving 46 people dead and 67 others injured. Following the tragedy, President Museveni pledged to give each bereaved family five million shillings as support.

Jonathan Akweteireho, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner, confirmed that security agencies are pursuing several suspected impostors attempting to claim the money promised by the President.

He explained that some of these individuals, hailing from Kampala, Gulu, Yumbe, and Terego, have approached Kiryandongo Police and Kiryandongo Hospital, pretending to be relatives of the deceased in order to benefit from the compensation package. Others have reportedly contacted members of the verification team directly, demanding the pledged funds.

Akweteireho noted inconsistencies between the impostors’ statements and the information provided by genuine relatives of the victims.

“For example, someone from Terego called claiming he is a relative of Godfrey Alionzi, a former staff member at Kiryandongo hospital who perished in the accident, but when we cross-checked with the bereaved family, they distanced and disowned the individual claiming the compensation money, saying he is not known to them,” said Akweteireho.

He cautioned grieving families against sharing personal information about their deceased loved ones with strangers. According to Akweteireho, even on the day of the accident, opportunists flocked to the crash site and looted valuables such as laptops, phones, and cash belonging to victims.

A police officer involved in the verification process, who requested anonymity, revealed that security teams are currently tracing and investigating several of the suspects.

Kiryandongo District Police Commander (DPC) Stephen Ojok said that some of these impostors are now deceiving bereaved families by promising to link them with the official verification team. He explained that all details of the deceased and injured are being carefully verified and profiled before submission to the State House and the Office of the Prime Minister for final approval and payment.

According to the DPC, a specialized team has been established to confirm the identities of genuine relatives entitled to the compensation.

The devastating accident has reignited public concern about road safety and reckless driving along Uganda’s major highways. Authorities are urging public transport operators to observe speed limits and practice greater caution to avoid similar tragedies.

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