“We Still Remember”: 8 Years After the Karatu School Bus Tragedy That Claimed 32 Young Lives

First published: May 2017 | Updated: June 2025

Eight years have passed since one of Tanzania’s darkest days—the Karatu school bus tragedy that took the lives of 32 students, two teachers, and a bus driver. The memory of May 6, 2017, remains vivid and painful, a national heartbreak that forever changed the country.

The students, all from Lucky Vincent Primary School in Arusha, were traveling to take a mock national exam—an important milestone in their education. But their journey ended in tragedy when their bus lost control on a rain-slicked mountain road in the Karatu district. The vehicle plunged into a ravine, leaving behind a scene of unimaginable sorrow and a nation in mourning.

To this day, the tragedy is remembered not just for the lives lost, but for the deep impact it left on families, communities, and the entire country.