Why L. Victoria became a death trap last Saturday

A large group of revellers last Saturday fell off a rickety water craft into the lake on their way to a pleasure water resort in Mukono District. Overwhelmed by a huge crowd that exceeded the craft’s capacity in tumultuous winds, the captain of the vessel dropped his anchor in a desperate effort to stabilise the ship and prevent it from sinking.

Early in the trip, the bottom of the vessel had begun leaking water at a pace at which the water could not be emptied, exacerbated by floppy workmanship, lack of knowledge and cutting corners. The imperiled vessel was a former fishing boat that had been adapted Uganda way into a leisure boat.

A spirited group of local fishermen acted as first responders, bringing scores of revellers back to the main ground as soon as warning signs were given on the deck, prompting the smart ones to evacuate to safety. The number of dead multiplied in part due to the fact that they were inebriated.

Demographically, the crowd was dominated by well to do Kampala businessmen, right around the beginning of the peak of their lives ages (40-55 years) old. These were mostly urban dwellers, businesspeople with defined careers and highly successful. There were young men too, partly defined as hangers-on, who grace Kampala’s party scene.

In terms of numbers of the deceased, the crowd had a huge retinue of women of all ages and demographic groups (married, single, widowed) etc. some of whom were “sponsored” to join in the fun without having to pay the princely fare of £20 (about Shs95,000).

Marine watchers have been watching the lake for some time with a lot of concern and recount the events of last Saturday with trepidation. First, the lake has been highlighted as an environmental Armageddon waiting to happen. President Museveni has through UPDF marine executed a fairly successful effort to curb illegal fishing, helping for the first time in years, fishing stock to recover. But these stocks will soon fall to zero value if the poisoning of the lake by poisonous effluents, discharged by industries, agro-chemicals, solid biomass through massive deforestation and charcoal burning, continue.
Already, fishing areas are restrained by a big massive blue algae that is choking to death incredible plant-life.

Second, the economic situation has congregated growing numbers to Lake Victoria and its shores. A few months ago, the Speaker brought to Parliament scores of abalunyanja to protest enforcement activities by UPDF. The lake people are a rather diverse set of people. The tribes that excel on the lake are dominated by Iteso, Acholi, Lake-Luo (Badama, Samia) etc. But there are also new tribes on the lake, Banyankole and Southern Baganda, who have taken to the lake having fled landlessness in their home areas. So the owners of the lake are now all Ugandans.

Fish is now a major staple, it cannot meet market demand. A kilogramme of first grade beef is Shs18,000. One big fish (about 900 grams) retails for Shs14,500. Goat meat goes for Shs12,000 and pork Shs11,000.

Third, marine transport regulation is non-existent. What passes for formal regulation is a joke. There are just eight marine inspectors on the lake, yet we have 500 Members of Parliament.

Government operates just one cross-lake shipping vessel; MV Kalangala, itself a rapidly aging ship overwhelmed by high turnout and overloading. All the former Uganda Railway Corporation vessels are either rotting at Port Bell or lying under water such as the MV Kabalega, which sunk in Kyamuswa County in 1994, never to be retrieved.

The marine sector also seems to be vastly unprepared for “new money” that is dotting the entire lake, islands, shorelines etc. People with money are fleeing to these areas for fresh air, clear blue sights, and a settled feeling that they are doing well. For all the tears and emiranga that doted the funerals as people were taking care of their dead, they were marking another life stage for the long odd history of Lake Victoria.

Mr Ssemogerere is an attorney-at-Law and an advocate. [email protected]