At least 12 fishermen have drowned while fishing around the Karuma Hydropower Plant in the past two years, local leaders have said.
The fatalities have occurred among fishing communities operating upstream and downstream of the dam in Karuma Town Council, Kiryandongo District, and neighbouring Kamdini Sub-county in Oyam District. According to Mr Patrick Ojok, the deputy chairperson of Kamdini Sub-county, five of the victims’ bodies were never recovered after their canoes capsized or were swept away by strong currents. He attributed the accidents to a combination of bad weather, strong currents and risky fishing practices, including venturing too close to the dam’s spillway gates.
‘We continuously advise fishermen to leave the water during bad weather and to avoid fishing near the dam gates because the risks are enormous. Unfortunately, some ignore the warnings and end up in accidents. The situation has been worsened by a lack of protective gear,’ he said. Mr Ojok spoke during the distribution of life jackets to more than 80 fishermen by Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL), the operator of the Karuma Hydropower Plant. The life jackets were handed over last Thursday in an initiative aimed at reducing drowning incidents and improving safety among fishing communities around the dam. Local leaders welcomed the intervention, saying it could significantly reduce fatalities on the river.
‘Now that they have received these life-saving jackets, we expect a reduction in accidents and deaths because fishermen will be better protected while carrying out their work,’ Mr Ojok added. Although fishermen are required to operate at least 250 metres away from the spillway gates, local authorities say some venture as close as 150 metres in search of fish, exposing themselves to dangerous currents. The waters around the hydropower facility are known to attract large numbers of fish due to the abundance of plankton and other aquatic organisms. However, experts warn that fishing near a dam is hazardous because water flows can change suddenly depending on electricity generation demands.
Challenges
Mr Bonny Arwata, a fisherman from Dicwinyi Village, said the lack of safety gear had made rescue and recovery efforts difficult whenever accidents occurred.
‘When someone drowns, tracing the body is very difficult because of the speed of the water. Even when a body is washed ashore, it can be hard to locate,’ he said. He expressed optimism that the life jackets would improve safety and increase chances of survival in the event of an accident. Another fisherman, Mr Tonny Obang, said drowning incidents had become common among colleagues who ignored safety guidelines or were caught in rough waters.
‘Every year we lose fellow fishermen. Some move close to the spill gates and get swept away, while others drown when high tides overturn their canoes,’ he said. Mr Enock Kusasira, the UEGCL corporate affairs manager, said the company sought to promote safer fishing practices among communities living around the hydropower facility. ‘We are trying to make fishing safer because local authorities have informed us that several people lose their lives here every year while engaging in unsafe fishing practices,’ he said.
Mr Kusasira said the company shares the River Nile with communities that depend on it for fishing and therefore has a responsibility to support initiatives that enhance both safety and livelihoods. ‘We want every fisherman operating upstream or downstream of the dam to have a life jacket and work safely,’ he said. He also urged fishermen to obey warning sirens, strobe lights and instructions from dam security personnel, especially when spillway gates are about to be opened.