Police vow to enforce water transport safety measures
Ssezibwa Region Police Spokesperson, Ms Hellen Butoto. PHOTO/FRED MUZAALE
What you need to know:
- According to WHO statistics, Uganda registers “one of the world’s highest drowning death rates” of 502 in every 100,000 people residing in lakeside fishing communities.
Police have vowed to enforce safety measures on water bodies after the December 10 night boat accident that claimed three lives on Lake Victoria in the island district of Buvuma.
The three passengers, who drowned between Kirewe Island and Namiti Island, were part of the 24 participants who were on their way back from a training workshop in Lubya Sub-county in in the same district.
The workshop had been organised by Uganda Development Health Association (UDHA).
Mr Michael Kasadha, the Busoga North police spokesperson, said all boat occupants, who do not wear lifejackets will be arrested as one of the measures to curb water accidents.
“We implore all boat owners to avail safety devices such as lifejackets to all travellers before leaving landing sites. Safety devices are part of the basic requirements for them to operate. Those who fail to comply will be arrested together with the passengers,” he said in an interview on Sunday.
He added that they had also banned passenger boats from sailing between 7pm and 6am.
Ms Hellen Butoto, the Ssezibwa Regional Police spokesperson, said bodies of the three people who died in the tragedy have since been retrieved and their remains handed over to the relatives for burial.
They are Annah Nabwire, 23, Ashifah Namulondo, 19, and Harriet Tulina, 17, all residents of Namiti Island.
“The bodies were seen by fishermen and were handed over to the respective relatives in districts of Kamuli, Kaliro and Busia,” she said.
According to World Health Organization statistics, Uganda registers “one of the world’s highest drowning death rates” of 502 in every 100,000 people residing in lakeside fishing communities.
Statistics from Lake Victoria Basin Commission reveal that 5,000 people die yearly in Lake Victoria as a result of drowning.
On April 3, six people died on Lake Victoria when a boat in which they were traveling capsized.
On January 24, 2021, seven people drowned after a boat they were sailing in capsized. On September 3, 2019, five people died in a passenger boat accident between Bukasa Island in Kalangala District and Mukono District.
On November 24, 2018, a cruise boat, MV Templar capsized near Mutima Beach on the shores of Lake Victoria and claimed more than 30 lives.
