Ugandan woman drowns after ‘sneaking’ into DRC to tend her garden

Part of River Lhubiriha in Kasese District where a woman drowned on October 19, 2021 as she tried to cross from DRC back to her home in Uganda. Photo by JOEL KAGUTA

A 30-year-old Ugandan woman is said to have drowned in River Lhubiriha in Kasese District in western Uganda as she returned from DR Congo where she had gone to check on her gardens on Tuesday evening.

The body of Felezia Biira, a resident of Kyasenda I village in Karambi Sub County, Bukonzo West constituency in Kasese District was retrieved from the river on Wednesday morning

The mother of four is said to have left her family on Tuesday morning to tend to her food farms across the border.

Since the official border route which she would have used is still closed to pedestrians, with only cargo trucks allowed through, she opted to use what’s believe to be an illegal border crossing near the river.

On her return, she found the river had burst its banks following a heavy downpour.

Relatives and local leaders believe she drowned as she attempted cross back to Uganda.

The official border crossing was closed to pedestrians and other road users in March 2020 and has never been opened since then following the outbreak of Covid-19. Only cargo trucks are allowed to cross.

Mr Joseph Baluku, a resident who was one of the search team said: “We worked hard and by today morning (Wednesday), we found her body near one of the entry points where she was trying to cross the river.”

Biira’s body was handed over to her family for burial.

Her deaths comes barely two months after a senior one student drowned in River Nyamwamba.

Authorities identified the victim as Linas Masereka, 17, a resident of Kyanjuki Cell, Bulembia Division in Kasese Municipality and senior one at Kilembe secondary school.

Kasese District is prone to disasters, especially floods and landslides which have cost several residents lives during the rainy seasons.