Five confirmed dead in Lake Victoria boat tragedy

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The police in the Greater Masaka region have confirmed the drowning of five businesspeople on Lake Victoria after their boat capsized on Monday, April 7.

The deceased have been identified as Sarah Kabuwo from Buwunge landing site on Bufumira Island, Owimana Alera and Munyaleza Ndayirwa from Bbosa on Sserinya Island, and another individual known only as Mayanja, who was working with Bogere on the boat, along with Emmanuel from Nakawa landing site on Bugaba Island.

"Together with marine police and fishermen, a search to retrieve these bodies has commenced, and further investigations have been launched into the incident," said Twaha Kasirye, the Masaka regional spokesperson.

He also warned passengers who travel carelessly without thinking about safety measures, such as life jackets, to stop doing so, regardless of how calm the lake may seem.

The cargo boat, loaded with sacks of charcoal and food crops, had departed from its first site at 10:00 pm, heading to Nakiwogo market for the Tuesday market.

All the passengers were business people dealing in charcoal and food crops.

Is government's response sufficient?

In the wake of continuous boat tragedies, including the fatal incident on August 2, 2023, which claimed the lives of over 15 islanders, the Government, through the Ministry of Works and Transport, implemented several measures, including a ban on night sailing, restrictions on boat overloading, and a requirement for life jackets.

However, these measures continue to be defied by passengers on Lake Victoria due to the high cost of life jackets and a lack of serious enforcement. It's also difficult to trace individuals who travel at night, as no manifests are kept at landing sites, making it challenging to identify victims in boat tragedies.

Frank Ssekabunga, the Bufumira sub-county councillor, told New Vision that boats often park in dark, less busy areas of landing sites to avoid tax and checks on their loading.

"While we try to prioritise the safety of our people, they let us down by failing to report such boats," said Ssekabunga.

All the passengers who drowned were from Bufumira sub-county landing sites in Kalangala district.

Early warning systems

The primary cause of the boat capsize was strong winds that began at 3:00am on Monday night.

The East African Community (EAC) region is prone to various weather- and climate-related hazards, which often result in natural disasters, particularly drought, severe storms, tropical cyclones, floods, and the recent tsunami. These and other climate-related disasters account for over 80% of the region’s natural disasters.

National Meteorological Services (NMS) in each partner state are responsible for providing early warning information to protect property and lives. However, the current infrastructure of the NMS is inadequate for disaster risk reduction.

The early warning units installed on Lake Victoria do not align with the coxswains’ ideologies, as many have not fully embraced smartphones. This system requires a stable internet connection, a well-charged smartphone, and the ability to clearly interpret weather predictions.

"The network on Lake Victoria is a mess, and we fear smartphones because their batteries die within 30 minutes, so we resort to using analogue devices. These are some of the hindrances to receiving timely warnings from those stations," said Abbasi Kalyoowa, one of the coxswains.

Henry Kizito, in charge of meteorological support in Kalangala district, explained that weather interpreters had been trained at 10 landing sites, but many have left the islands in search of greener pastures.

"Most coxswains are illiterate and cannot read, which is our biggest challenge when it comes to weather forecasts. Some of them sail late at night when there is no one to rescue them in case of an accident," he said.

The search for the bodies of the deceased is still ongoing, as leaders urge marine police to enforce safety measures for boat operators.