Following the two boats that subsided on Lake Victoria on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, the Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA) has issued an alert warning the community about the risks of accidents, as the strong winds and large waves persist on Lake Victoria.

Festus Luboyera, the Executive Director at UNMA has warned the public that the strong winds and waves currently occurring on Lake Victoria are a warning sign, cautioned those using it to be on alert, or even stop traveling for a while.

“The public should take this alert as a serious issue, and I am requesting all travelers not to ignore the advice given. I sympathize with the families of those affected,” Luboyera said.

Luboyera cautioned the public about the strong winds and water waves being the major contributing factors of drowning in water bodies in the country.

According to Dr. Frederik Operia, a Lecture at Makerere University, School of Public Health, Uganda is one of the countries that has registered the world’s highest drowning death rates of 502 per 100,000 cases and that is 60 times than the estimated on the continent.

“At least 3,500 Ugandans across 74 districts are reported to have drowned over a two and half-year period, according to the 2021 report by Makerere University, School of Public Health and this translates into 1,400 deaths per year,” Operia said.

Operia stated that the average rescuing time is supposed to be 45 minutes for marine Police, but others take around 7 hours, adding that there is need to reduce the rescue time because someone can die after 2 seconds.

He said that government should invest in emergency services for water accidents.

However, Operia noted that Ministry of Health has secured fourteen (14) boat ambulances that will be essential in reducing drowning-related deaths in the country.