By Charlotte Nyebaza Kagumaho,
KABALE
Two people have died after reportedly drowning in Lake Bunyonyi, Kabale District.
The victims were travelling from Bwama Village to Burimba Trading Centre on Sunday evening when their canoe capsized near Akampene Island, Kitumba Sub-county. Eyewitnesses attributed the accident to strong winds on the lake.
The deceased were identified as Bruce Ainepuran, a Senior Four student at Lake Bunyonyi Secondary School–Bwama and resident of Rwabereera Village, Rubaya Sub-county, and Dickson Kabagambe, 42, of Mukoni Village, Rubaya Sub-county, Kabale District.
According to Dickson Kamuhanda, a resident, local rescue teams were still searching for the bodies by press time. Police had not yet issued an official statement.
Globally, an estimated 372,000 people die from drowning annually, while Uganda records over 3,000 drowning deaths every year — an average of nine lives lost daily. Most cases occur around lakes and rivers, with some linked to homicide.
In recent years, the Government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Works and Transport, has stepped up water safety campaigns, enforced life jacket regulations for passengers on water vessels, and introduced mandatory registration and licensing of boats. Civil society organizations such as, Incubator GHAI, Uganda Red Cross Society, Justice Development Council, Reach a Hand Uganda, STASSU and SwimSafe Uganda, among others have also launched community sensitization drives, trained local rescue volunteers, and promoted swimming and water safety education, particularly among school-going children in high-risk areas.
