Six people have been confirmed dead and eight others rescued after a boat carrying 14 passengers capsized on Lake Victoria in Mayuge District on Tuesday evening, with emerging details pointing to how a preventable chain of failures led to the tragedy.
The incident occurred at around 5pm as passengers returned from farming activities in the South Busoga Forest Reserve.
The boat had departed from Buyengo landing site and was heading to Bugoto A landing site in Bukabooli Sub-county when it began taking in water.
According to preliminary findings, cracks in the wooden vessel allowed water to seep in mid-journey, gradually destabilising the boat.
Survivors say the situation worsened within minutes, as the vessel—already weighed down by both passengers and cargo—became increasingly difficult to control.
“Water started entering the boat, and within minutes it became unstable,” said survivor Jamira Nandobya.
Local leaders and witnesses say the boat was overloaded, carrying not only passengers but also goods including food, firewood, jackfruit, and bananas.
This excess weight is believed to have accelerated the boat’s loss of balance as water filled its compartments.
As the vessel neared its destination, it capsized, throwing all 14 passengers into the water. In the ensuing chaos, six people, including a three-year-old child, drowned while others struggled to stay afloat.
Police confirmed that eight survivors were rescued by nearby residents who responded using other boats, highlighting both the community’s role in rescue efforts and the absence of immediate emergency response infrastructure on the lake.
“Out of the 14 passengers, eight were successfully rescued while six unfortunately lost their lives,” said ASP Micheal Kasadha, the Busoga East regional police spokesperson.
The deceased have been identified as Zalika Naiwumbwe, Badru Gabunga, Farouk Mudoli, Kisakye Awori, Blessing Nabuzale, and Rebecca.
Badiru Gabunga was reportedly the boat operator.
Survivors, including Bosco Tibita, Robert Waiswa, Jamira Nandobya, Janet Namwebya, Nabirye Kamyufu, Moses Kapere, and two unidentified children, were taken to Kigandalo Health Centre IV for treatment.
Local authorities say the timeline of the rescue further worsened the outcome. Sadala Wagende, chairperson of Bugoto A Landing Site, said the community was only alerted about an hour after the incident.
“We received information about the incident at around 6pm, and by the time responders arrived, some people had already drowned,” he said.
Leaders at the landing site say the tragedy exposes long-standing safety gaps on Lake Victoria, including the continued use of poorly maintained boats and weak enforcement of transport regulations.
“The vessel was clearly overloaded and not in good condition,” Wagende said, calling for government intervention to improve rescue readiness and safety enforcement.
Benson Bwire Adiba, chairperson of fishermen at Bugoto A landing site, urged stricter adherence to safety standards, emphasizing that the accident was avoidable.
“People must use licensed and well-maintained boats. This tragedy could have been avoided if proper safety measures were followed,” he said.
For families, the loss is deeply personal. Majidu Kapadu Mukuve, a former local councilor, said he lost four relatives in the accident.
“I have lost two youths, a woman, and a young child. This is a devastating loss for my family,” he said, appealing for government support.
Police, led by the District OC CID Mayuge, have launched investigations, with early indications pointing to overloading as a primary cause, compounded by the boat’s poor structural condition.
Authorities have since allowed families to proceed with burial arrangements as inquiries continue into how the tragedy unfolded.
Drowning remains a silent but deadly public health crisis in Uganda, even as new efforts emerge to address it.
Recent estimates suggest the country loses about 3,000 people annually to drowning, with a national rate of roughly 8.5 deaths per 100,000 people.
These figures are likely underreported, as many incidents in remote lakeside communities go undocumented.
Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that around 236,000 to 322,000 people die from drowning each year, making it the third leading cause of unintentional injury deaths.
Over 90 percent of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, with Africa carrying one of the highest burdens.
In Uganda, drowning disproportionately affects young adults, particularly men engaged in fishing and water transport on lakes such as Lake Victoria.
Structural risks—poorly maintained boats, lack of life jackets, and weak enforcement of safety regulations—continue to drive fatalities.
Despite the scale of the problem, drowning has long been overlooked in national health policy. Experts note limited coordination, weak legislation, and low public awareness as key gaps.
However, recent progress—including the designation of a lead government agency and partnerships with research institutions—is beginning to strengthen prevention efforts.