Victim, survivors of Kiira boat accident identified
Shakira Kaweesi who died in the accident and her five-year-old daughter Amira Alwi who was still missing by press time. PHOTO | OSCAR NTEGE
BY PHILIP WAFULA
Police have named the victim and survivors of a boat accident that occurred on Sunday evening at Kiira dam in Jinja City.
The incident, involving four family members and a tour guide, occurred at around 5pm when the boat experienced engine failure and was pushed to the dam, Eskom Uganda said in a statement.
The officer-in-charge of Nalufenya Police Station, Mr Samuel Lubega, on Monday confirmed the death of Shakira Kaweesi, also known as Super while her husband, Mr Hassan Alwi, in his 50s and their nine-year-old son Jafalu Alwi managed to survive.
Mr Lubega added that Mr Alwi is the proprietor of International University of East Africa.
However, the whereabouts of five-year-old Amira Alwi is still unknown, fueling speculation that she could have been carried by the river current to Bujagali falls.
By the time of filing this story, rescue teams comprising the police and UPDF Marine Unit were continuing with the search process.
“The five set off from Rulu Fish pond Farm in Jinja for a ride on the water; however, the boat experienced engine failure and capsized. It is also alleged that another rescue boat came with one person but capsized with them at Kiira power station dam,” Mr Lubega said in a statement.
The guide, who has been identified as Okudi, is reported to have jumped out of the boat after sensing that it was operating on ‘free float’ and at ‘break-neck speed,’ Mr Luke Ibudire, the Eskom Uganda security officer, said.
Mr Richard Drabe, a private guard from Pearl Security who was overseeing security at Kiira dam and witnessed the incident, said he saw the boat bringing the family towards the Source of the Nile but as he kept beckoning them to stop, the water kept pushing them further.
Witness account
“I told them to stop but they kept pleading with me not to shoot them, saying they are in danger. Once I heard that, I started raising the radio call but unfortunately, the battery blacked out,” he said.
“I ran to the main gate and by the time I returned, they were reaching the point of entering the spillway. By this time, after about 10 minutes, they were no longer on the boat and when my colleagues saw the boy struggling, they rescued him, followed by his father,” Mr Drabe added.
At this point, according to Mr Ibudire, spilling was immediately switched off as an intervention to see if they could make any more rescues.
Mr Ibudire added that when the boat engine failed, paddling was impossible and all the four occupants were forced to ‘paddle’ using their hands until they went through the spillway, including their boat.
Asked what precautionary measures Eskom Uganda has put in place to ensure the safety of people and whether there are places restricted to sailors, Mr Ibudire said there is signage before the restricted area and this particular boat had lost its engine and was on a free flow.
High water levels
Feni Luvuyo, the technical director at Eskom Uganda, said it is the first time the lake levels have been this high since the start of the concession. “We haven’t been spilling water because it wasn’t necessary and such an incident has never happened,” he explained.
When the dam experienced a floating island in April, President Museveni said government would put up a barrier.
