Four fishermen drown in Lake Albert

Danger. An overloaded boat arrives at Wanseko Landing site in Buliisa District recently. Most accidents on water are attributed to overloading of boats. PHOTO BY FRANCIS MUGERWA

KASESE.

Four fishermen have reportedly drowned in Lake Albert after their boat was hit by a hippo earlier this week.

According to eye witnesses, the incident occurred at Kabakanga Landing Site in Ndaiga Sub-county, Kagadi District on Monday at about 5.30pm.

The deceased have been identified by police as Mumbere Mugulu,18, a resident of Kagema village, Kyarumba parish, Kyarumba Sub-county in Kasese District, Kenneth Musinguzi,17, a resident of Nyairongo, Bwikara Sub-county in Kagadi District, and Alex Tulinawe, 14, a resident of Nyakarongo parish in Bwikara sub-county in Kagadi District.

“While fishing, the deceased were attacked by a hippo that caused their boat to overturn and capsize,” the Albertine regional police spokesperson Julius Hakiza, said yesterday.

Mr Hakiza said the police teamed up with fishermen to search for the bodies of the victims, which were recovered on Tuesday at about mid-day and handed over to the families for burial.

“The incident occurred about 50 metres from the shoreline at a time when other fishermen were also planning to join a night fishing expedition, Mr Oscar Cunyai ,the Ndaiga Sub-county chairperson said.

The incident shocked the fishermen who watched a hippo charging at the boat in which their colleagues were sailing. “We have many hippos at various landing sites. We suspect the hippo, which attacked them to have newly given birth because they become more alert and wild when they have calves,” Mr Cunyai said.