The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kabale, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Lion clubs of Kabale and Kampala Central have donated 500 lifesaving jackets to six schools on the islands on Lake Bunyonyi in Kitumba Sub-county in Kabale and Rubanda district as one of the safety measures for people.
Canon Lydia Ibingira, the Kampala Central Lions Club president, says the benefiting schools include Bwaama primary school, Bwama secondary school, Kyabahinga primary school, Bufuka primary school, Little Angels Nursery and primary school.
Two women groups namely Kakooko women’s group and Kitooma Women’s group also received jackets. According to Ibingira, the schools and women groups received 100 life jackets each. Each jacket is valued at Shillings 60,000.
Ezra Suruma, Makerere University Chancellor, one of the members of the Lions Club told URN at Bwaama island primary school that as Lions club, they got concerned following numerous accidents where people would drown on the lake.
Emmanuel Sentaro Byamugisha, the mayor Kabale Municipality, who represented Darius Nandinda, the Kabale Resident District Commissioner lauded the Lions club for their intervention.
Robert Kanyooma, the headteacher Bwama island primary school, says prior to Covid-19 lockdown, the school 350 pupils had enrolled at the school. Kanyooma says that the donation is a very big relief.
Kanyooma says that in 2019, a pupil drowned while crossing back from the school when the canoe he was using capsized.
He says that due to lack of life jackets, sometimes learners fail to show up at school or retire early because of bad weather.
In October 2020, Amon Turyatemba, a student of Nyabikoni secondary school drowned in Lake Bunyonyi while on tour. In August 2020, five residents of Karambo village in Muko sub-county in Rubanda district drowned in the same lake.
On August 11th, 2020, three people including John Bosco Tumuheki, Felix Arineitwe and Fricano
Turyahikayo, all residents of Katetenkora village in Nyamiryango Parish, Butanda Sub County in Kabale district drowned when their canoe capsized in the same lake.
In June 2020, two people from Muko sub-county in Rubanda district drowned in the same lake while travelling in a canoe. In December 2018, Uganda Police also donated 150 life jackets to pupils of Kyabahinga, Bufuka and Kifuka primary schools.
********
URN
A well detailed and helpful article. Many thanks for sharing, it’s definitely going to help lots
of folks out there. You always publish useful information, some of
which I share on Facebook.