Kampala Aug. 4—Deputy speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, escaped death Saturday evening August 3 when helicopter he was travelling in crashed in Western Uganda.
The helicopter was enroute from Nyakisharara airstrip in Bushenyi to Kampala when it developed a technical problem and the pilot was forced to return to the airstrip. During the emergency Landing the aircraft caught fire. Luckily enough Tayebwa and his team on the plane managed to escape unhurt.
Tayebwa in a message he posted on his X handle, formally Twitter, Sunday morning said that he is safe and all his colleagues were not hurt during the helicopter crash. “Dear all, my colleagues and I are all okay. No one is hurt”.
Tayebwa had earlier in the day attended the commissioning of Kole-Gulu-Nebbi-Arua 132kV power line in Nebbi, which connects West Nile to the national grid. After the commissioning, Tayebwa travelled to Bushenyi by helicopter for the Kuhingira ceremony of Ms Edner Ainomugisha and Mr. Albert Bagabe. Edner Ainomugisha is the daughter of managing director of National Water and Sewerage Corporation, Eng. Silver Mugisha and Annet Katusiime Mugisha, the Bushenyi Waman MP.
The helicopter was initially set to return to Kampala from Nyakisharara airstrip.
Reports say that due to the late hour and lack of night vision capabilities, the trip was postponed and were advised to stay in Mbarara over night. Reports further say Tayebwa and team decided to board another helicopter whose operator assured them of a safe flight despite the darkness only to encounter a technical problem.
