Africa-Press – Uganda. The fishing community around the Old Railway Bridge in Jinja City on Tuesday morning woke up to a dead body of their own behind a colleague’s house.
Mr Johnson Tabule, the chairperson of the Old Bridge Landing Site, who only identified the deceased as “Ssebaggala”, said he last saw him with other fishermen but did not follow up on what they were up to.
“I always see this man (deceased) here after fishing, but he is somebody from the Njeru community who just comes here to drink alcohol. It is unfortunate he was this morning found dead behind one of the fisherman’s houses,” said Tabule.
Mr Tabule explained that Landing Site is like no man’s land since there are no demarcations of who is to fish where or not, while the fishing community has no control over others in the water.
Mr Suleiman Kasiire, one of the fishermen, said they are challenged by some of their colleagues who come around and do not want to identify themselves.
“This is not the first time we have faced such challenges and now, we don’t know any of the deceased’s relatives,” Mr Kasiire said.
A police officer who was at the scene, but declined to be named because he is not authorised to speak on behalf of the Force, however, said some members from the fishing community are criminals who disguise themselves as patrons visiting bars.
“That is why when they fall sick they do not go for treatment for fear of being identified and arrested,” the officer said.
By press time, the body of the deceased was taken by Police to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital mortuary for an autopsy.
