Africa-Press – Uganda. Police have released the names of victims of last week’s boat accident on Lake Victoria.
An estimated 25 passengers reportedly perished when the boat they were travelling in capsized due to the strong winds on the lake on August 2.
The deceased include Winnie Nankya, Nicholas Mukuutwa, Proscovia Namulondo, Edith Najjuma, Zamu Longose Mutesi Angel, Glades Nabiseere, Innocent Nsabimana, Dickson Wabwire, unidentified female adult, Francis Kalegeya, Grace Nakato, Emma Taremwe, Moses Ssimbwa Kyonge, and Derrick Okumu.
The vessel, which was travelling from Kalangala District to Kasenyi Landing Site near Entebbe in Wakiso District, was reportedly overloaded.
It had been carrying an estimated 30 to 34 passengers but only 10 survived.
By yesterday evening, 15 bodies had been recovered from the lake, but only 13 were identified by relatives.
However, the families of Sharon Watsemba, from Bududa District and Haruna Ssembatya of Kassanda District said the bodies of their loved ones had yet to be recovered.
The families have been camping at Kasenyi Landing Site since the incident occurred.
Mr Philip Mutinye, the father of Watsemba, said he had started losing hope of ever recovering his daughter’s body.
“It will be unfortunate if I leave this place without Watsemba’s body. I believe it was God’s decision to take her in such a tragic way but I pray that He allows us get her remains and we accord her a decent burial. If we fail, it will haunt the family forever,” he said.
Mr Twalib Yawe, a resident of Kanziira-Kigarama in Kassanda District, said his brother, Ssembatya, sold firewood at Lwanabatya Landing Site.
The Commander of the Police Marine Unit, Mr Ubaldo Bamunoba, said rescuers, who include marine personnel from police and army, and volunteer fishermen, are optimistic that they can find more bodies.
He said some of the people believed to have drowned like Pastor Joseph Lule and Mama Kambugu disembarked the ill-fated boat before it set off.
“Today [yesterday], we haven’t got any bodies despite our divers combing all corners of the lake. We have not given up yet and tomorrow [today] the operation will resume and if more families still complain that corpses of their relatives are missing, we will be here to assist them,” he said
Mr Solomon Bwanika, a fisherman at Kasenyi Landing Site, said the missing bodies may have got tangled in fishing nets, which makes it hard to find them.
“Some [bodies] are intentionally pushed into fishing nets by merciless fishermen to use them as baits to catch more fish. But sometimes the bodies get trapped there on their own,” he said.
He, however, said the fishermen can retrieve them.
Unlike on ferries and other large water vessels where passengers’ particulars are captured before boarding, traditional private wooden boat operators keep no records and this explains why identifying victims has been difficult.
List of victims in boat accident
Deceased and age
• Winnie Nankya, 29
• Nicholas Mukuutwa
• Proscovia Namulondo, 44
• Edith Najjuma, 30
• Zamu Longose Mutesi Angel,35
• Glades Nabiseere, 40
• Innocent Nsabimana, 35
• Dickson Wabwire, 30
• Unidentified woman
• Francis Kalegeya, 28
• Grace Nakato, 18
• Emma Taremwe, 22
• Moses Ssimbwa Kyonge, 27
• Derrick Okumu, 20
Still missing
• Sharon Watsemba,21
• Haruna Ssembatya, 55
Survivors
• Denis Odong
• Jackson Ndagwa, 60
• Bernard Matemani, 58
• Lawrence Kiiza, 29
• Jackson Besigye, 53
• Julius Ssemujju Ssiida (skipper)
• Sabili Magezi, 23
• Abas Mukisa, 23
• Annet Nakirijja, 45
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