Police in the Kigezi Sub-region have proposed an inspection exercise for all canoes and engine boats used to carry passengers and goods on Lake Bunyonyi, in a bid to reduce fatal water accidents linked to vessels in poor working condition.
The proposal comes a month after a dugout canoe capsized on Lake Bunyonyi following strong waves, killing John Tumukunde, 45, a primary school teacher and resident of Butebi Village, Nyamiryango Parish in Kabale District.
The body of the deceased was recovered a week after the incident. A 19-year-old female passenger, only identified as Rebecca, who was in the same vessel, was rescued immediately.
‘We have proposed to the officials at the Ministry of Works and Transport to conduct a boat/dugout canoe inspection exercise to ensure that all the vessels on Lake Bunyonyi are in good condition for the safety of the passengers and their goods,’ Kigezi Region Police Spokesperson SP Nelson Tumushime said.
He advised residents to always use life jackets and avoid overloading canoes and boats. He also appealed to the management of transport affairs on Lake Bunyonyi to ensure that vessels in bad shape are replaced. ‘Canoes and boats that are in bad shape should be replaced with new ones to avoid risking the lives of the passengers,’ SP Tumushime said.
However, boat operators say training is more urgent than inspection.
The former General Secretary of the Bunyonyi Boat Operators Association, Brian Niwagaba, said strong waves, not the quality of vessels, are the main cause of capsizing.
‘Training boat and canoe operators on how to manage water waves is more important than the planned inspection exercise for boats and canoes. We have over 100 engine boats operating on Lake Bunyonyi every day on a commercial basis while hundreds of dugout canoes facilitate community members that cross the lake for social activities. The problem is not the quality of the vessels but the strong water waves that challenge the operators leading to the capsizing of the canoes. People using dugout canoes must avoid overloading them,’ Mr Niwagaba said.
Long-time lake users also defended the dugout canoe as a safe means of transport when handled properly.
Silas Mukunde, 54, who has used a dugout canoe for more than 40 years on Lake Bunyonyi, said experience and judgment are key. ‘I have been using a dugout canoe for about 40 years as means of transport on Lake Bunyonyi and I have never had a single accident because I calculate properly water behavior i.e. I cannot roll my dugout canoe when there is too much water wave and wind on the lake waters,’ Mr Mukunde said.
Local leaders are calling for stricter enforcement of safety rules.
In April this year, Rubaya Sub-county LCIII Vice Chairperson Innocent Arineitwe Karibobo said about 20 people die annually on Lake Bunyonyi due to canoe accidents, mostly because of overloading.
‘We lose about 20 people per year because of dugout canoe accidents on Lake Bunyonyi and this is a result of poor adherence to the established safety precautions that include the use of life jackets. Most accidents are a result of overloading the dugout canoe where 8 people squeeze themselves on a dugout canoe that is supposed to transport only 4 people,’ Mr Karibobo said.
‘We need the marine police to ensure that there is no overloading on Lake Bunyonyi and we also appeal to the government to provide enough speed boats that can be used to rescue people in case of an accident,’ he added.
Police say they will continue engaging the Ministry of Works and Transport and local boat operators to agree on safety measures for Lake Bunyonyi.