By Our Reporter,
KAMPALA
Stakeholders in Uganda’s transport sector have called for stricter enforcement of maritime safety regulations and the establishment of a comprehensive survivor support system following a surge in water accidents.
The call was made on Friday during a capacity building training for drowning prevention lead agency organised by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), facilitated by Safe Transport and Survivors Support Uganda (STASSU) and Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) at Lake Victoria Beach Cottages in Kigo.
The meeting, attended by officials from government ministries, the Marine Police and civil society organisations, comes in the wake of a recent boat tragedy near Mayuge District that renewed concerns over safety on Uganda’s waters.
Duringbthe workshop, Officials STASSU warned of a widening “maritime safety gap,” citing low compliance with life jacket requirements. They noted that fewer than 40% of small- to medium-sized vessels carry certified life-saving equipment. STASSU further highlighted Overloading of boats as a major cause of capsizing, calling for stricter penalties against operators who flout safety regulations.
The Marine Police Commandant, Sulaiman Kirungi, said the force is shifting from a reactive “search and recovery” approach to a proactive drowning prevention strategy.
“Today we are here to get an orientation on how we should strategically coordinate drowning prevention activities. We have been doing our local work, but now we have been given an extra task as a lead agency,” Kirungi said.
A report by Makerere University School of Public Health indicates that Uganda loses an average of eight people daily, nearly 3,000 annually, to drowning.
Kirungi revealed the unit’s strategic plans to address claims of foul play in drowning incidents. He said all bodies retrieved from water will undergo professional forensic examination to rule out foul play and improve accuracy in national safety data.
Discussions also highlighted gaps in survivor support systems. STASSU proposed a “Survivor’s Path” framework to provide immediate psychological first aid and legal assistance to victims and families pursuing compensation and insurance claims.
STASSU Executive Director, Sam Bambanza emphasised the need for stronger coordination between first responders and formal rescue systems, noting that local fishermen are often the first at accident scenes.
He also expansion of mobile network coverage on water bodies to improve emergency response.
“This training is very important strength in your coordination and also to help you to do the mapping of other eastern corners to ensure that you continue to save lives,” he said
As part of community interventions, STASSU unveiled plans to train “Beach Safety Champions” at major landing sites, including Ggaba, Entebbe and Jinja, to conduct pre-boarding safety checks and sensitise passengers on the use of flotation devices.
Participants also urged government to provide real-time, localised weather updates at landing sites to prevent boats from operating under hazardous conditions.
Moses Mulengani, Assistant Commissioner in the Office of the Prime Minister, underscored the need for stronger institutional coordination among the Ministry of Works and Transport, Police and health service providers.
“Coordination is required to manage the various forms of nature when institutions have interlinked objectives when they share a common environment or when they share resources” Mulengani explained.
He also called for accountability in the utilisation of funds allocated to safety programmes, urging a shift to measurable, impact-driven results.
Meanwhile, Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI) coordinator Justinian Kateera called for a multi-sectoral approach to address drowning, describing it as a preventable public health challenge.
He urged expedited implementation of the National Drowning Prevention Strategy and revealed that Uganda will host global partners, including the World Health Organisation and Bloomberg Philanthropies, during the World Drowning Prevention Day commemorations on July 25.
