Marine Police Urge Lake Victoria Users to Prioritize Life Jackets

Kosea Stephen Okiria, the South East Zonal Commander for the Marine Police, has strongly cautioned individuals utilizing water transport on Lake Victoria against traveling without essential safety gear, specifically life jackets.

Okiria’s remarks were delivered during an address to fishermen at the Lolwe Landing Site in Namayingo District. He highlighted that despite ongoing sensitization efforts and rapid response mechanisms put in place by the Marine Police, numerous lives continue to be lost due to the persistent disregard for life jacket usage.

“Interventions to curb water accidents have been undertaken, including sensitisation and rapid response whenever reports of accidents reach us,” Okiria stated. “But the persistent use of water transport without life-saving jackets has left many people losing their lives.”

Statistics reveal a grim reality, with nine individuals perishing in water-related incidents on the lake from February to September. Okiria expressed the dismay of marine officers who frequently respond to distress calls, only to find that victims who drowned were not wearing life jackets.

During his address, Okiria urged fishermen, business operators, and all other lake users to strictly adhere to water safety measures, with a particular focus on the mandatory use of life jackets. He also noted a significant reduction in water-related robberies, stating that the primary concern for the Marine Police remains the failure of lake users to adopt basic safety precautions.

“Nowadays, robbing people on the water is not common. We fought that. The challenge now is people who use the water without life jackets, especially business people and fishermen, but the lake is well protected,” he added. He implored everyone engaged in fishing, transportation, or any other activities on Lake Victoria to prioritize their safety and comply with all marine regulations to avert preventable tragedies.

This information was reported by Nile Post.