Hundreds of Christians from various parts of Kiryandongo District gathered on Wednesday afternoon at the scene of last week’s tragic accident along the Gulu–Kampala Highway. The faithful came together to pray for the souls of those who lost their lives, to comfort bereaved families, and to ask for God’s healing for the injured.

Under the close supervision of traffic police, worshippers lined the roadside, lifting prayers for divine intervention to stop the frequent accidents on the Gulu–Kampala Highway. According to participants, the gathering was meant to dedicate the victims’ souls to God and seek protection for all road users. “We have prayed and asked God to protect travelers so that no more lives are lost,” one worshipper said.

Pastor Job Olara of Good News Church, Kiryandongo, described the highway as a long-standing “death trap” and said it was time for Christians to respond spiritually. “The reason why we are here is to ask for divine protection from God against all forms of accidents on this road,” Pastor Olara stated.

Philbert Okecha from Kiryandongo Full Gospel Church explained that the prayers also focused on drivers, asking God to give them patience, wisdom, and caution behind the wheel. Pastor Stephen Baboineki of Kiryandongo Miracle Center Church added that believers had gathered to seek God’s mercy and call for an end to the deadly crashes.

Pastor Debator Oyera of Christ the Word Church in Kigumba noted that the prayers aimed to honor the deceased and seek God’s protection for travelers yet to use the route. “The special prayer is meant to cancel all negative plans and accidents on this road,” she said.

Joyce Ochanda, a member of Kitaleba Catholic Church, described the repeated accidents as alarming and urged continuous spiritual intervention. Vincent Okello, a resident of Kigumba Town Council, said the faithful also prayed for improved driver discipline and protection from impatience, selfishness, and negligence on the road.

Meanwhile, Justine Akumu from Kiryandongo Town appealed to the government to reconstruct and expand the road, install more speed bumps, and enhance traffic law enforcement to curb reckless driving.

The prayers were held a week after a devastating crash at Kitaleba village, near Asilli’s Farm in Kiryandongo Sub-county, which left at least 46 people dead and 67 others injured. The collision involved two buses, a lorry, and a Toyota Surf.

Preliminary investigations revealed that one bus tried to overtake a lorry while another bus was overtaking the Surf from the opposite direction, resulting in a head-on collision that triggered a chain crash.

Several survivors received treatment at Kiryandongo Hospital and were later discharged. The tragedy has reignited public concern over road safety and reckless driving on Uganda’s major highways. Authorities have since urged transport operators to observe speed limits and exercise caution to prevent future disasters.