A wave of grief has swept through Mubuku Primary School and the surrounding community in Kasese District following the tragic death of a Primary One pupil who drowned in River Mubuku on Tuesday evening.
The child, identified as Innocent Magambo, aged 8, was reportedly playing with friends near the riverbank at around 7pm when he was swept away by strong currents.
The river had burst its banks following heavy rains in the Rwenzori Mountains earlier in the day.
Witnesses said Magambo and his friends had been unaware of the danger as they played close to the rising waters.
Suddenly, the current surged, pulling him into the river and carrying him nearly 200 metres downstream.
His lifeless body was later retrieved near the Mubuku Prisons maize farm, with the help of local residents and community leaders who responded to the distress calls.
The incident has left the school community and local residents in deep shock.
Teachers and fellow pupils remembered Innocent as a lively, kind-hearted boy whose enthusiasm for learning had made him stand out among his classmates.
“We are devastated. It’s a painful reminder of how unpredictable and dangerous these rivers can be,” said a teacher at Mubuku Primary School, who asked not to be named.
Local authorities and school administrators are now urging parents and guardians to be especially vigilant, particularly during the rainy season.
They have warned that rivers such as Mubuku and Nyamwamba swell rapidly and can become deadly within minutes.
Kasese has experienced similar tragedies in the past, often during periods of intense rainfall in the Rwenzori region, which feeds numerous fast-flowing rivers and streams.