A Uganda-registered Trinity Express bus travelling towards Kigali was engulfed in flames on Monday evening, August 17, 2026, near Nyacyonga on the outskirts of Rwanda’s capital, destroying the vehicle and passengers’ luggage.
The incident occurred as the bus approached Kigali, with dramatic footage from the scene showing the vehicle completely surrounded by flames and thick smoke. The fire illuminated the roadside as motorists and bystanders watched from a distance.
According to reports from the scene, passengers managed to evacuate the bus before the fire spread and consumed the entire vehicle. No deaths or injuries have been reported in connection with the incident.
The destruction of passengers’ luggage, however, left travellers counting significant losses after their belongings were reportedly unable to be recovered from the burning bus.
The cause of the fire had not been established by Tuesday morning, with investigations expected to determine what triggered the blaze and whether it was linked to a mechanical or electrical fault.
The incident has nevertheless raised fresh concerns about passenger safety and the mechanical condition of long-distance buses operating between Uganda and Rwanda.
Trinity Express operates services connecting major cities in the region, making its buses a common mode of transport for travellers moving between Uganda, Rwanda and other East African destinations.
The latest incident has also drawn attention because of a previous fire involving a Trinity bus. In an earlier case reported in 2022, a Trinity Express bus travelling from Rwanda to Kampala caught fire in western Kenya after reportedly developing a mechanical problem. All 35 passengers escaped unharmed, although their luggage was destroyed. Kenyan police at the time said the fire was suspected to have started around a rear tyre.
Separately, a Ugandan traveller told ChimpReports that he and five friends had experienced another fire-related emergency involving a Trinity bus earlier in 2026 while returning from Rwanda. He alleged that passengers were forced to evacuate after smoke filled the vehicle and tyres underneath the bus caught fire.
However, there is no indication that the cause of Monday’s fire was connected to those earlier incidents, and authorities had not publicly attributed the latest blaze to a mechanical failure.
The latest incident is therefore expected to attract scrutiny from transport authorities and the bus company, particularly regarding vehicle inspection, maintenance and emergency preparedness.
For the passengers involved, the immediate concern was the loss of their belongings, while the fact that everyone reportedly escaped before the bus was destroyed prevented what could have been a much more serious tragedy.
Authorities are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the fire as investigations continue.
