Rescuers retrieve all six bodies drowned in Lake Victoria
What you need to know:
- The retrieved bodies include that of Geoffrey Kututya, 35, a resident of Kiyindi, Fred Walwasi, a boat porter, and two gospel preachers Godfrey Maveya and Vincent Lumu.
Rescuers have finally recovered all the six bodies of people who went missing following a boat accident on Lake Victoria last Sunday.
The retrieved bodies include that of Geoffrey Kututya, 35, a resident of Kiyindi, Fred Walwasi, a boat porter, and two gospel preachers Godfrey Maveya and Vincent Lumu.
Others are; Deo Mutebi and Benon Twijukye, a boat porter and skipper respectively. The latter’s body, which was trapped in cages at Nanso landing site, Njeru Municipality, was the last one to be retrieved on Saturday morning.
“We can confirm that all the six bodies have been recovered and our full week search has ended,” Mr Amir Kiggundu, a councillor representing Kiyindi Ward at Kiyindi Town Council said on Saturday morning.
The ill-fated boat, according to Police, was transporting building materials including cement and stones from Kiyindi landing site in Buikwe District to Namatale landing site in Buvuma District.
At least six passengers were on board. The incident occurred last Sunday around 8pm.
“We are still carrying out investigations to establish what exactly led the boat to capsize,” Ms Caroline Akoth,” the Ssezibwa regional police commander said
Mr Hussein Bagalya, the Bwema Sub County speaker said the accident could have been a result of overloading and at the same time, the boat skipper was under the influence of alcohol.
“We have also learnt that all the occupants were not wearing life-saving jackets, may be they could have been saved,” he said.
Despite her numerous lakes and rivers, Uganda’s water transport network remains one of the most forgotten sectors in the country. Most boats on Ugandan lakes are obsolete, unlicensed or uninsured and the landing sites are in a deplorable state.
There is no authority or marine traffic police specifically charged with regulating water transport on the lakes and rivers. The existing marine police, with its thin strength, checks smuggling, rather than safety on the lakes. This unregulated water transport has resulted in many fatal boat accidents due to unchecked overloading, sailing on undesignated routes, and use of defective boats and canoes. Statistics from Lake Victoria Basin Commission reveal that 5,000 people die annually on Lake Victoria as a result of drowning.
On November 24, 2018, a cruise boat, MV Templar capsized near Mutima Beach on the shores of Lake Victoria and claimed the lives of more than 30 levelers.
On September 3, 2019, five people died in a passenger boat accident between Bukasa Island in Kalangala District and Mukono District. Police said the boat hit a rock near Nkese Island in Kalangala District and capsized.
On January 24, 2021, seven people drowned after a boat they were sailing in capsized. The victims were sailing from Lwanabatya landing site in Kalangala District to Kasenyi landing site, Entebbe in Wakiso District.
Compiled by Denis Ssebwami, Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa& Richard Kyanjo
editorial@ug.nationmedia.com
