Is the police marine unit overwhelmed?

By Joshua KatoIT was a rough, stormy night in May 2001. Gusts of howling and intimidating wind whipped the lake. The fear of rain was stronger than what the clear sky seemed to promise. The night was gone by more than half. Kizito’s boat engine was gunned to life deep in the lake to evade the marine police because no night boating is allowed. As the boat headed for Kitubulu, Entebbe, droves of black rain clouds shot through the skies. Soon it drizzled. This was quickly followed by a hailstorm hitting hard the polythene sheet sheltering the passengers. The passengers were awakened by strong waves lapping against the sides of the boat. Seconds later, a thunderstorm and torrential rains tore through the skies. The boat swung from side to side throwing passengers overboard. Other passengers struggled in vain to get hold of jerrycans as a make shift lifeboat. Screams from women tore through the huge killer waves. Death was staring at them with venom!“Within a few seconds I got dressed with the life saving jacket. The three men manning the boat began throwing the cargo into the lake to stabilise the boat,” says a survivor on condition of anonymity. “Then lightening followed. Just infront of the boat I saw a huge wave of about 10 feet heading towards us. In seconds, the whole boat was blanketed by the wave. The boat capsized,” he says. At dawn as the sun was opening its eyes on the world, he found himself lying in the boat surrounded by strange people. When he regained consciousness, he made a resolution never to leave behind his life saving jacket. Kizito’s horsepower motorboat engine that capsized and drowned 22 people was weak. In addition to the passengers, it was carrying more than 20 tonnes of cargo. Assistant Supritendant of Police, Ben Jackson Draza, deputy commander of the Police Marine Unit said Kizito had been cautioned repeatedly by the police to stop travelling at night especially during the rainy season when the lake is rough. He never heeded their warnings. However, the same fate has been repeated at Kasenyi. The number of people, who perished aboard an overloaded Kinara boat that sank in Lake Victoria on the night of Friday, June 7, 2002, is estimated to be about 45 people excluding children travelling with their parents according to the police reports. Four unidentified people were buried at Buyange Island. “The big boat was carrying domestic merchandise, matooke weighing an equivalent of four tonnes and a large container of ice blocks when it capsized near Kisaba Island after leaving Buyange Island in Kalangala district after 2.00 am. It had taken off to its final destination of Bukasa Island in Kyamuswa county. The first stopover was at Bubeke Island before proceeding to Buyange,” says Rogers Kaweesi, chairman, Kasenyi Landing Site. The owner of the boat Ssengendo is in hiding. Only nine people survived and swam ashore. Six of them had life jackets, while three used jerrycans and a sack of matooke to stay afloat. “We are soon putting up by-laws effectively beginning this July. Every passenger boat will be equipped with life jackets. Before leaving, each boat will be searched and a manifest compiled to know the number of passengers travelling. And no boat will leave after 7:00 p.m.,” said Baluku, Officer -in- Charge, Kasenyi Landing Site. In the wake of the increasing water accidents, a ten-week sensitisation programme for fishermen, transporters and boat owners at the various landing sites was carried out last year. Seminars on community policing the sites and life jacket safety measures were also conducted.“Life jackets are so vital and yet they require minimum knowledge to swim to safety. When the jacket is bought, it should first be tested on the water. These jackets can withstand 50-250kg weight, depending on the number of floater sheets inserted inside it,” said Draza. On top of the jackets, there are also lifebuoys designed to save four to eight people. Life jackets will not make you float forever. After 36-48 hours, they began soaking in water. “The standard life saving jacket is supposed to have five poilons (floaters). The ones we make have six pieces inside,” said Kim Jin-oh, managing director of Kimkoa development Limited. Since its revival in 1995, the Police Marine Department has experienced hard times in policing the lakes. It has only 76 officers. The department went to the dogs in the 1970’s. They resumed their operations with 50 officers in 1996. “Our area of operation is so big that we had to zone some areas. On Lake Victoria we cover 32,000 square kilometres, which has over 178 islands. Most of them are uninhabited but with fishing villages on the lakeshores,” he explained. Lake Victoria has three zones: east, central and south. The eastern zone comprises of Busia, Bugiri, Iganga, and some parts of Jinja district and the islands that form the district. The central zone comprises of Mukono, Kkome islands and other islands close the district. Mpigi, Masaka, Rakai and Kalangala districts form the Southern zone. “We also police Lake Albert shore districts of Masindi, Hoima, Kibaale and Nebbi. We do this in conjunction with district police commanders and civic leaders,” Draza said. The unit intends to open detaches to patrol Lake Kyoga and all other waterways like the navigable rivers. This will enhance safety of the movement of vessels on waters. He added that nowadays incidents of boats capsizing on Lake Albert are rare. Lake Albert has more safety equipment and measures than any other lake in Uganda. Authorities there are strict about the people’s safety on the lake. Lake Victoria has shallow waters because it is a basin. Between January/March, and May/July waters become turbulent. It is the peak of strong waves. The East African Community (EAC) in conjunction with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is carrying out studies about legislation and safe navigation on Lake Victoria. “There is need to review the Inland Transport Control and Vessel Legislation Act. The law needs to bite,” says Draza. Lake Albert is a deep rift valley lake and has strong under-water current waves. In June-July season no boat with a weak engine can cross it.