Police have kicked off investigations into circumstances under which a senior one student drowned in River Rwizi in Mbarara.
The incident happened on Sunday afternoon when students of Alliance secondary school Kakoba Mbarara City South were gathered at the Bishop Stuart University Riverside playground for their interclass football competition.
As the school semifinal match was underway, Aselum Muhumuza, a senior one student and his colleague, sneaked to the river for swimming.
Rwizi police spokesperson Samson Kasasira confirmed the incident.
“Muhumuza went into the waters first and the other followed but minutes later the friend couldn’t recognize Muhumuza’s presence so he shouted. It’s when fellow students realized their colleague could have drowned,” Kasasira said.
He said the police responded quickly and searched for the body on Sunday, but failed.
“Search for the body was conducted yesterday but it couldn't be found but it was later retrieved from river Rwizi from the same point he dived in,” Kasasira said.
“The body was taken to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital mortuary for postmortem and later will be handed over to the family for burial.”
The deceased comes from Isingiro district and will be laid to rest this week.
The pitch where the interclass football competitions were happening is adjacent to the river, hence the name riverside pitch.
Concerned residents, however, highlighted the need to have the pitch side that is close to the river gazetted and fenced.
“You see, this has been a deadly spot, it’s not the first time a drowning is happening, so something must be done, maybe put a fence” a resident said.
At the time of filing this report, the school had not yet released any statement regarding the matter despite a few eulogies from fellow students who described their colleague as an intelligent and social person that brought him closer to people.