Tragic Drowning of Mother and Toddler in Lake Bunyonyi Canoe Mishap

Residents of Kagugo village in Rubaya Sub-county, Kabale District, are grieving the loss of 26-year-old Joyous Ampurire and her two-year-old daughter Witness Akansasira. The pair drowned in Lake Bunyonyi on Monday evening while returning from a social event across the lake.

The incident occurred around 8:30pm when their dugout canoe overturned. Two men aboard managed to swim to safety and were rescued, but darkness delayed recovery of the women’s bodies until Tuesday morning. Burial arrangements are set for Wednesday, according to LC1 chairman Edison Kato.

Kato described it as a double blow for the family of Lucky Atuheire, the deceased’s husband and father. He urged authorities and donors to supply life jackets, noting the lake’s reputation as a hazard due to strong waves battering fragile wooden canoes.

Locals favor inexpensive dugout canoes, costing Shs1,000 to hire versus Shs5,000 for engine boats, as explained by resident John Bosco Tumwesigye. Rubaya LCIII vice chairman Innocent Arineitwe Karibobo highlighted overloading—often eight passengers on vessels meant for four—as a key cause, with about 20 drownings yearly.

He called for stricter marine police enforcement against overloading and more rescue speedboats. Kigezi police spokesman Elly Maate confirmed awareness of the incident pending a full marine report.

Uganda’s water transport sector struggles with safety issues, including poorly maintained wooden vessels, capacity violations, and scarce life jackets amid unpredictable weather on lakes like Bunyonyi.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)