UNOC engineer’s body recovered after Busowoko Falls tragedy

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The Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) senior engineer, Gershom Rwakasanga, whose body was recovered on Sunday, October 12, 2025, after drowning at Busowoko Falls in Jinja district on October 11, 2025, was off duty and spending time with his family, his employer has confirmed.

UNOC in a statement released on Sunday, confirmed that Eng. Rwakasanga’s body had been recovered. 

“It is with deep sorrow that we inform the public that the body of our colleague, Eng. Rwakasanga, manager terminals development and operations at the Jinja storage terminal, has been recovered from the River Nile following the tragic incident at Busowoko Falls.”

“We wish to clarify that the incident occurred while he was off duty and spending time with his family, not during a work-related site visit. We appreciate the public’s concern and continue to keep his loved ones in our prayers during this very difficult time,” the statement added.

On Saturday, UNOC announced Eng. Rwakasanga’s drowning. 

“UNOC would like to inform the general public and all our stakeholders that one of our staff, Eng. Rwakasanga, based in Jinja, while at Busowoko Falls in Jinja, accidentally fell into the River. This regrettable incident occurred on Saturday, October 11th, 2025. UNOC has been working with police and other emergency services, as well as the community in Jinja, to conduct search and rescue operations since the time of this incident. These operations continue,” the statement said.

Eyewitnesses said Rwakasanga was a frequent visitor to Busowoko Falls, and on the fateful day, he arrived with his daughter. At the time of the incident, they were reportedly taking photos before he slipped and fell into the water.

They only heard the daughter screaming for help as the engineer was being swept away by the current.

Busowoko is located in Bususwa/Bukongo village, just after Namavundu Forest. It is one of the last major falls on the upper Victoria Nile after several others, including the once-famous Bujagali Falls and Itanda Falls, were submerged by hydroelectric power dams.

The 2024 Uganda Police Annual Crime Report indicated that the number of drowning cases had dropped by 19 in 2024.

A total of 190 maritime offences were documented in 2024, marking an 8% increase from 176 cases in 2023.

“Drowning led with 119 cases, followed by robbery on the water with 34 cases,” the report says.

Most cases of drowning — 73 — were reported on Lake Victoria.