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Three family members drown in Lake Kijjanebarola
Fishermen pictured at Kijjanebarola in Rakai District recently. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- The bodies so far retrieved include that of Edison Tibeijuka, 62, and his 15-year-old son Daniel Mpulire –both residents of Kaserere Village in Rakai District. The body of the third victim Julius Wasswa, 35 was still missing by Friday afternoon.
Rescuers were Friday afternoon still searching for one of three people who went missing following a canoe accident on Lake Kijjanebarola on Thursday morning.
The bodies so far retrieved include that of Edison Tibeijuka, 62, and his 15-year-old son Daniel Mpulire –both residents of Kaserere Village in Rakai District. The body of the third victim Julius Wasswa, 35 was still missing by Friday afternoon.
The boat which was hit by a hippopotamus, according to eyewitnesses, was transporting the trio from the party at Pati Village, Lwamaggwa Sub County at 11am.
Mr Joseph Ssemanda, a fisherman at Kaserere landing site, said the lake is a habitat for many hippos and most accidents are caused by them.
“Hippos are everywhere in this lake and they may be the ones that hit their canoe,” he said in an interview on Friday.
Mr William Lutembesa, the chairperson Kaserere village, said the trio was not wearing life jackets and asked the government to come to their rescue and donate free life-saving jackets to water transport users in the area.
“Our lake is one of those neglected. Passengers cannot afford life jackets and we mainly use canoes and there is no single-speed boat which can rescue people during such situations,” he said.
Ms Jessica, Namutaawe, a resident of Kaserere Village, she said heard the alarms from the victims and tried to seek help in vain.
"There were no fishermen in the lake at the time of the incident, the boat got filled with water and it capsized, we saw them sinking and we couldn't help them," Ms Namutaawe said.
For several years, stray hippos have attacked communities in Kagamba, Kacheera and Ddwaniro sub-counties in Rakai District killing people, and livestock and destroying crops, thus causing food scarcity and poverty in the affected communities.
In 2011, four people including a toddler drowned in Lake Kijanebalora, after their boat was hit by a hippopotamus.
In 2013, hippos killed five people in the neighbouring Lyantonde District.
