ENTEBBE | A couple in Entebbe that went to Lake Victoria on Wednesday evening to take a dip could have drowned, authorities have said.
Police in Entebbe have confirmed the recovery of the body of Jude Ssentongo, 42, near Nkumba Bukolwa village, Katabi Town Council, Wakiso District.
But his wife Edith Mirembe, 23, is missing.
According to witnesses, the couple's clothes were found along the lakeshore.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Luke Oweoyesigire said the couple had gone to the lake at around 8pm on Wednesday but did not return, raising suspicions among the locals, who later organised a search party.
Ssentongo’s body was recovered in the lake, while efforts to locate the body of Mirembe were still underway at the time of publishing this report.
Mr Charles Nsubuga, the Village Defence chairperson, expressed shock at the incident, saying, “It’s suspected that they went to bathe, but the exact circumstances leading to their drowning remain unclear.”
Drowning, still considered an incident rather than a public health issue, attracts low attention the country despite the damning figures of victims.
According to the 2023 Police Annual Crime Report, at least 138 people drowned in Uganda's water bodies between January and December 2023.
The figure was more than 65% of the total of all incidents handled by the Maritime Police.
Overall, 243 bodies were recovered from water bodies around the country during the same period, while 323 persons were rescued.
The figures do not include for incidents in swimming pools, bathtubs and other water-holding apparatus or even floods - suggesting a much higher figure.
The couple has described by neighbours as loving and well-known in their community.
Ssentongo was a familiar figure, and Mirembe had recently opened a grocery store in the area, making their sudden loss even more heartbreaking.
Authorities have reminded residents to exercise caution when engaging in recreational activities near the lake.
Lake Victoria has been known for drowning incidents, and water safety remains a pressing concern.
Owoyesigire confirmed that Ssentongo's body has been taken to Mulago National Referral Hospital for a postmortem examination.
Meanwhile, police have opened investigations into the incident.