Two-year-old toddler drowns in River Wambabya

A two-year-old boy is suspected to have drowned in River Wambabya, in Nyaibaale village, Bugambe sub-county, Kikuube district as his mother was tending to a garden at the river bank on Monday morning.

The missing baby has been identified as Mubarack Akugizibwe, the son of Scovia Akugizibwe and John Asiimwe.

An eyewitness said the missing boy was playing with another child close to the river while his mother was digging a few metres away.

Martin Asiimwe, the village secretary for defence, told New Vision by phone that he learnt about the incident after responding to an alarm made by the mother who was calling for help.

"This was shortly after, the toddler's mother made checks for her son and noticed that the child was not where he was playing from earlier and as such she made an alarm," he narrated.

He added that the village residents gathered at the scene and tried to search for the boy in vain. The search operations resumed on Tuesday morning but by midday, the body had not been found.

Joseph Nkwatiramunda, the Bugambe LC3 chairman, said they suspect the body could have been swept far away by the large volumes of water.

He urged parents to always be cautious when with children at such risky places.

Julius Allan Hakiiza, the Albertine Region Police spokesperson said they learnt about the incident on Monday evening and they were by press time, considering dispatching a Police rescue team.