(Jinja) – Six people have died after two boats capsized in separate incidents on Lake Victoria, with authorities confirming strong winds as the main cause of the tragic events.
Marine Police in Kiira region confirmed the fatal accidents, stating that six bodies have been retrieved from Lake Victoria. According to Bruno Sunday, Victoria East Zonal Commander, the incidents occurred in the same area but at different times on the night of October 30, 2024, with strong winds identified as the primary factor in both accidents.
In the first incident, two fishermen from Kibugambata, Jinja City, Goffin Okite (35) and Moses Opukiro (40), were fishing near Kisima Islands around 8:00 p.m. when sudden strong winds capsized their boat.
In the second accident, which took place later the same night, four men transporting sand encountered similar weather conditions. The deceased were identified as Hillary Mulondo (22) from Bugiri district, Frank Jimere from Mukono’s Ntenjeru, Ezekiel Isabirye from Iganga, and a man known only as Sadam from Mayuge district’s Malongo sub-county. The men were transporting sand from Namoni landing site in Mayuge district to Wanyange landing site in Jinja City when their boat, heavily loaded with sand, was overturned by strong winds.
| Incident Details | First Boat | Second Boat |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Fishing near Kisima Islands | Sand transport from Namoni to Wanyange |
| Approximate Time | 8:00 p.m. | Later in the night |
| Deceased | Goffin Okite (35), Moses Opukiro (40) | Hillary Mulondo (22), Frank Jimere, Ezekiel Isabirye, Sadam |
| Cause | Strong winds | Strong winds |
Sunday reported that all bodies were retrieved by Tuesday evening and taken to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital for postmortem before being handed to the families for burial. He noted that this year has already seen five cases of drowning in the region, attributing these incidents primarily to poor safety practices, including a lack of life jackets and uninspected boats.
In a separate incident, an unidentified body was recovered from Butiki landing site in Jinja district, adding to the recent drownings in the area. Frances Magara, chairperson of shop owners at Masese landing site, pointed out that many boat users fail to wear life jackets, which are often left unused unless the Fisheries Protection Unit or Marine Police are present.
Suzan Namaganda, Wanyange landing site chairperson and area councillor, urged the government to provide certified life jackets at subsidized prices, noting that current costs make them inaccessible for many local boat users.
Majidu Mulondo, father of the deceased Hillary Mulondo, stated that his son had not been in contact with the family since completing his Senior Four exams last year, and the family only received a call to collect his body for burial after the accident.
