20 feared dead after their boat capsized on Lake Victoria

At least 20 people are feared dead after a passenger boat they were travelling in capsized on Lake Victoria in the wee hours of Wednesday.

The ill-fated giant boat, locally known as Kinaala, was transporting passengers and cargo from Lwanabatya landing site in Kyamuswa County, Kalangala District, to Kasenyi landing site near Entebbe in Wakiso District, fishermen said.

The boat reportedly hit by strong winds near Nsazi Island on Lake Victoria in Mukono District.

While it is believed that thirty people were on board, ten survivors have been rescued by fishermen, Noah Kizza, a fisherman said.

Joshua Wafumbwa, the Councilor representing Kyamuswa Sub County in Kalangala District, said rescue efforts are ongoing to locate other survivors.

This is the third fatal boat accident on Lake Victoria in barely a month.

The Deputy Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, said: “We are awaiting updates from the rescue team before providing an official statement on the accident,”

It is worth noting that the death toll from accidents on Ugandan water bodies is often high due to many users ignoring safety measures.

At least 3,500 Ugandans across 74 districts are reported to have drowned over a two-and-half-year period, according to a 2021 report by Makerere University’s School of Public Health.

This translates into 1,400 deaths per year. Activists say people need to be trained in basic swimming skills to reduce cases of drowning.