Government to set up 8 marine search and rescue centres

Government is to set up eight marine search and rescue centres to improve emergency response measures in case of accidents on Uganda's water

The sites will be located on eight landing sites of Panyimur, Zengebe, Kiyindi, Masese, Majanji, Ntoroko, Bugoto and Bukasa Island.

Land for creation of the rescue centres at the first four prospective sites has been secured, the minister for works and transport, Eng. Monica Azuba Ntege revealed Thursday.

The remaining sites are being surveyed, she disclosed, while presenting a report on the ministry's performance against the NRM manifesto 2016-2021 targets.

Since 2016, the ministry has investigated six marine accidents on Lakes Victoria and Albert, including the November 24, 2018 sinking of MV Templar.

The boat, carrying about 120 revelers on board, sunk a few metres away from Mutima Beach in Mukono district. At least 29 people died in the accident.

The owner of the boat, businessman Templa Bissase and his wife, also perished in the accident as the boat stalled on its way from another private beach.

Preliminary investigations found that the boat was overloaded, unregistered, unlicensed and uninsured. Many of the passengers did not have life jackets at the time of the accident.

Uganda's water transport infrastructure has largely not been well regulated and developed, although new measures are being undertaken to improve marine transport.

Safety regulations on the operations of open boats have not strictly enforced measures such as wearing life-jackets, which has made travelling on waters a perilous journey.

According to the 2013 Annual Crime Report, cases of drowning in Uganda's water bodies including rivers and lakes rose by 27% in 2013.

Reported deaths grew from 28 cases in 2012 to 47 in 2013. Rescue emergencies also rose from 56 cases to 81 over the same period, the report shows.

In January, the ministry of works and transport conducted a verification exercise for all operators of the vessels as part of measures to ensure that water transport is safe.

Last year, President Yoweri Museveni ordered for the registration of all boats operating on the lake, in the wake of a tragic November accident.

He also ordered the electronic registration and monitoring of all the boats so that authorities can know who is where on the lake and why.

"The five times I crossed in small boats or canoes, some of the lakes of East Africa (thrice Lake Victoria and two times Lake Tanganyika), I found them very dangerous to cross when you are not fully prepared; no overloading, standby engines, life jackets, reliable navigation," he stated.