Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) together with the government have launched a safety campaign across landing sites in the island district of Kalangala aimed at reducing water accidents and cases of drowning on Lake Victoria. Hundreds of fishermen and travellers have in recent years drowned in the lake after their boats capsized. Police records show that in Kalangala alone, there were 165 fatal drowning cases and 16 non-fatal incidents last year.
It is these grim statistics that have prompted NGOs to work with the government to commence community safety campaigns across all islands, where most fishermen have been trained in swimming, first aid, and sensitised on the importance of wearing life jackets. Spearheaded by the National Baria’s Association, a new organisation for all workers in the fishing sector, the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (Maaif), Red Cross Uganda, Marine Police, and Swim Safe Uganda, the campaign began in Bufumira Sub-county and moved across all the 64 inhabited islands in Kalangala.
‘We have trained locals on how to survive drowning, help each other during accidents such as capsizing or fire outbreaks at landing sites, and administer first aid before professional rescue arrives,’ Mr Elly Ntegge Wasajja, the chairperson of the association, said. ‘We want to see everyone going to the lake with a life jacket. That way, we can prevent unnecessary deaths,’ Mr Wasajja added. Ms Mercy Namuganza Bazira, the project coordinator, said the campaign that is supported by the International Fund for Fisheries Safety, an organisation based in the United Kingdom, will run for seven years, covering 800 landing sites on Lake Victoria with a budget of £30,000 (about Shs120.6 million).
She said as part of the campaign, over 200 life jackets have already been distributed to fishermen, boat crews, passengers, and islanders. ‘The safety of fishermen means fewer orphans left behind when their fathers drown. We cannot stop accidents entirely, but with the right training, lives can be saved and families stay,’ she said. Four months ago, several islanders escaped death narrowly after their cargo boat got trapped in a fishing net, only to sink after heavy waves hit it near Lwamunyo Island.
They were rescued by fishermen, but neither the rescuers nor the traders had life jackets.
In September last year, two fishermen drowned in Lake Victoria after their boat overturned. A statement from the Association of Fishermen and Lake Users of Uganda (AFALU) showed that pulling up the net from the lake to the boat forced the boat to overturn. Again, last year, an expecting mother on the Banda landing site in Bufumira Sub-county lost her husband on the very day he was supposed to take her to the nearest health facility to give birth. ‘He went out in the evening to cast his nets, but never returned. Around 10 pm, I began to worry, but thought maybe he was still on the lake. In the morning, I received the sad news that he had drowned,’ she said.
On that day, her husband had promised to work late so he could raise money to take her to the hospital for delivery. ‘It was the community that helped me deliver safely. But he was no more,’ she added. Mr Godfrey Senyonga Kambuggu, the chairperson of AFALU, said many fishermen are using the wrong type of life jackets, further placing them at risk. ‘Some jackets cannot support their weight. They end up wearing it for formality; the government needs to help fishermen get the right jacket,’ he said. Mr Silver Ssemugenyi, the Red Cross manager in Kalangala District, said fishermen continue to work under risky conditions.
‘Many boats are worn out, poorly maintained, and their operators don’t wear life jackets. Research shows that 89 percent of drowning deaths result from not wearing jackets. With one, a victim can stay afloat for at least four hours after capsizing,’ he said. The Red Cross is training first aiders at landing sites to offer immediate help before victims are referred to hospitals or health centres. Mr Moses Kalanzi, the chief executive officer of Swim Safe Uganda, said some accidents are inevitable due to weather changes on the lake.
‘Storms and heavy waves will always be part of the lake. But if fishermen know what to do, they can save themselves and others. On every landing site, we are training at least 200 fishermen in water safety and rescue,’ he said. At Kitobo Landing Site, the village chairperson, Mr Musa Buyondo, said leaders are often left supporting bereaved families. ‘Every year we help widows and orphans of drowning victims. Some fishermen still don’t believe in life jackets; they sleep on them or leave them unused. Others think jackets don’t add value to their fishing. This mindset must change,’ he said. He urged the government to make life jackets mandatory for all boat users on water bodies.
Government target
Two years ago, the Ministry of Water and Environment announced that they needed Shs25 billion to implement the National Water Safety Strategic Plan for drowning prevention in Uganda. The government has a target of reducing the risk of drowning among the high-risk communities, and to reduce the number of deaths by drowning in the country by at least 25 percent by the year 2028.