Three drown in Lake Victoria

Three people have drowned in Lake Victoria after their boat capsized at Bugoto Landing Site in Bukaboli, Bukaboli sub-county in Mayuge district on Tuesday evening.

Police have identified the deceased as Zalika Naiwumbwe and two children, Farouk Kapadu and Badiru Kapadu.

They were part of eight who were aboard the boat returning from garden work at Buyengo Landing Site.

Mr Majidu Kapadu Mukuve, the owner of the boat, said the two children were his. “It is true that three people, including my two children, drowned when my boat capsized.”

Mr Kapadu added that the boat was coming from Buyengo Landing Site, carrying people who were returning from garden work.

According to Mr Kapadu, the boat was large and in good condition, leaving him wondering why it capsized.

However, a survivor who declined to be named said the boat was overloaded.

“This boat was overloaded with potatoes and passengers, so when strong winds came, it began to sink,” the survivor said, noting that water leaked into the boat, which appeared to be old.

The survivor said he had warned the boat operator of the danger and advised steering toward the papyrus reeds so passengers could escape, but the warning was ignored.

Mr Faraji Makie, a resident of Bugoto, said both the deceased and the survivors are locals of Bugoto Landing Site.

Mr Makie said more than ten people are suspected to have been on the boat, though the police preliminary report states eight.

The Busoga East police spokesperson, Mr Michael Kasadha, said that so far, three bodies and four survivors have been recovered from the water.

Mr Kasadha further stated that Marine police operatives have been sent to search for more people suspected to be in the water.

He emphasised that investigations into the cause of this drowning have commenced.

According to a 2024/2025 report by Makerere University School of Public Health, more than 3,000 people drown annually in Uganda, an average of nine deaths per day.