3 drown in River Rwizi after downpour
Rwizi Regional Police Spokesperson, Mr Samson Kasasira. PHOTO | FILE
Police in Mbarara City are searching for the bodies of three people who drowned in River Rwizi while crossing with a canoe.
The Rwizi region police spokesperson, ASP Samson Kasasira, told Monitor that the victims were crossing the river from Katete to Nyakaizi in Kakooba on Tuesday at 7:30pm.
“Mbarara territorial police registered a case of drowning of three people who were crossing River Rwizi on Tuesday,’’ he said on Wednesday.
Mr Kasasira identified the deceased as Rukundo Atuhaire, 19, a Senior Five student at Five Star Secondary School Ntungamo; Timothy Kakuru, 23, a second-year student at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, and Rasta King, the operator of a canoe.
“We have started a search to retrieve their bodies. We hoped there could be a survivor, but we have not found any and the search is still on,” he said.
River Rwizi recently burst its banks, causing an overflow due to the heavy rains in the past two weeks.
“As security, we call upon the members of the public to be very cautious, especially during this rainy season. After the river burst its banks, water levels have gone up. If they are to move or travel on the river, they should do it in a safe manner to avoid such incidents,” Mr Kasasira said.
The chairperson of Kyapotani Cell, Mr Twaha Shobole, said people resorted to using the canoe because the bridge was washed away.
Mr Isma Nsamba, a resident of Kakooba, said they are now living in fear after the incident.
“I think if there was a standard bridge, this wouldn’t have happened. The government should make a bridge for us. When you see three people dying at once, you get worried that soon others will also drown,” he said.
The Katete councillor, Mr Moses Kajubi, told this publication that since the bridge broke down, residents no longer conduct businesses normally.
“The pain we have is that our bridge, which has existed for 15 years in Kanyeyite, has been washed away. It has been helping in the transportation of over 1,000 people every day. Most of the people are traders,” he said.
