Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Route Disrupted: Mucha Bridge Collapse Cuts Kisoro Road to Rushaga and Nkuringo

A bridge collapse in Kisoro District has cut the main road from Kisoro town to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park's Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors, two of Uganda's busiest gorilla-tracking gateways. The River Mucha Bridge, on the Kisoro–Bukimbiri road, gave way on Friday 9 October 2026, and both the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the Ministry of Works and Transport have told travellers to use a longer gravel diversion until further notice.

For anyone with a gorilla permit for Rushaga or Nkuringo in the coming days, the practical message is that the drive from Kisoro now takes longer. The official advice is about leaving earlier on the diversion, and an early start matters more than ever.

What happened at the River Mucha Bridge

The bridge links Kisoro Municipality to Bukimbiri County and carries the most direct road towards the southern sectors of Bwindi. According to Nile Post and The Lens Reports, it gave way as a Fuso truck loaded with charcoal was crossing. The Source Reports said residents blamed trucks carrying sand, and several residents told local reporters the structure had shown cracks well before it failed. The ministry's notice did not give a cause, and none has been officially established.

In a notice posted on its official X account on Saturday 10 October, the Ministry of Works and Transport said the bridge "has collapsed and rendered the crossing impassable" and that its technical team "has embarked on an emergency intervention". It did not give a date for reopening.

UWA issued its own urgent travel advisory late on Friday, as reported by ATCNews, closing the crossing to all traffic with immediate effect and apologising to visitors for the inconvenience.

The diversion: Karengyere, Nyanamo and Rubuguri

Both UWA and the ministry are directing traffic along Kisoro – Karengyere – Nyanamo – Rubuguri – Rushaga – Nkuringo. The route is a murram (unpaved) road that the authorities describe as motorable, but they warn it can deteriorate in rain and ask drivers to take care.

The official estimate is that the detour adds roughly 30 to 45 minutes to the journey. UWA has advised tourists staying in or around Kisoro to leave early so they do not miss the morning briefing that comes before every gorilla trek; ATCNews reported that the authority described early departures to Nkuringo as a matter of high priority.

Who is affected

The disruption falls on the stretch of south-western Uganda where gorilla tourism is concentrated. Nile Post reported that some tour vehicles stayed parked at hotels and campsites on Saturday while companies reworked their schedules. The same road also serves visitors combining Bwindi with Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Lake Mutanda, so multi-park itineraries built around a Kisoro base are the most exposed.

Local reports say operators fear a long closure would hurt guides, drivers, lodges and craft sellers who depend on visitors reaching the trailheads on time, although no estimate of losses has been published. Residents and traders are also cut off from the direct route, and some boda boda riders and pedestrians have been wading across the river, according to The Source Reports and The Lens Reports.

Kisoro Woman MP Grace Akifeza Ngabirano said she had contacted the Ministry of Works and district authorities. "I have engaged the Ministry of Works to intervene and have the bridge fixed," she said, according to Nile Post. Kisoro District LC5 chairman Richard Ndyana told The Source Reports he had reported the collapse to the ministries of Works and Finance, that the district was looking at an alternative route for residents and traders, and he urged the central government to decentralise services so districts can respond faster to emergencies of this kind.

A road network under strain

The collapse adds to a difficult year for roads in Kisoro. Nile Post noted that floods and mudslides paralysed the 72-km Kisoro–Rubuguri tourism road in March 2026, that flash floods damaged roads and bridges around Nyarusiza and Muramba sub-counties in February, and that Nkuringo Town Council leaders appealed to government in September over roads, water and mobile coverage.

The same report said an August review of the upgrade of the Kabale–Lake Bunyonyi–Kisoro–Mgahinga road found physical progress of 2.13% against a planned 37.15%, with works suspended since 1 June 2026. For a region that sells some of Uganda's most expensive wildlife experiences, the state of the roads leading to it remains a weak link.

What it means for travellers

If you are tracking gorillas in Rushaga or Nkuringo and staying in Kisoro town or near Lake Mutanda, plan for the diversion. Allow at least an extra 45 minutes on top of your usual transfer time, and more if it has rained overnight, since murram roads in these hills can turn slippery quickly.

Talk to your operator or lodge before the day of your trek. Ask which route your driver will take, what time you need to leave, and whether they have a fallback if the diversion becomes difficult. If you are driving yourself, a 4x4 is the sensible choice on the gravel section.

If you are staying at a lodge close to the Rushaga or Nkuringo trailheads, check with the lodge whether any of your transfers use the Kisoro–Bukimbiri road. Keep an eye on UWA's and the Ministry of Works' official channels for updates on repairs.

For background on the park itself, see our Bwindi Impenetrable National Park page at zuritrips.com/destinations/bwindi, and our guide to the best time to visit Uganda, which explains how the rains affect travel in the south-west.

Photo: Hanay / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).