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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | In response to the alarming rise in drowning incidents across Uganda, Reach A Hand Uganda (RAHU) has launched a nationwide community-based campaign aimed at promoting water safety awareness among lakeside communities.
The campaign, titled Tulwanyise Okubbira (Let’s Fight Drowning), was officially launched on 25th July 2025 in Bwondha Town Council, Mayuge District, in line with World Drowning Prevention Day, which is commemorated globally on the same date each year.
Mayuge District, located along the shores of Lake Victoria, has some of the highest drowning rates in the country. According to a study by Makerere University’s School of Public Health, the district records an estimated 115 drowning deaths annually, with a drowning rate of 24.3 per 100,000 people—the highest nationwide.
The Tulwanyise Okubbira campaign aims to increase public awareness about the risks and causes of drowning, encourage the use of personal flotation devices such as life jackets, promote behavior change by discouraging risky practices such as swimming under the influence of alcohol or in unsupervised areas; equip schools, landing sites, and youth centers with safety toolkits, and engage survivors and young people as water safety advocates.
“Most of the drowning cases are preventable,” said Humphrey Nabimanya, founder and team leader at Reach A Hand Uganda. “Simple actions like wearing a life jacket, ensuring children are supervised near water, and community education can go a long way in saving lives.”
The campaign is being implemented in partnership with Safe Transport and Survivors Support Uganda (STASSU), Designs without Borders (DwB), local district leadership, and other civil society organizations. The initiative also includes robust media advocacy efforts to ensure nationwide reach and awareness.
Government commitment
“The Ministry of Health is committed to supporting water safety education and emergency response systems in lakeside communities. We commend initiatives like Tulwanyise Okubbira that bring lifesaving knowledge directly to the people who need it most,” — Charles Ruzigye, Assistant Commissioner for Administration in the Ministry of Works and Transport.
Why Mayuge?
Mayuge was strategically selected as the launch site due to its high exposure to water-related risks. With nearly 77% of the district covered by water and a large population dependent on fishing, residents are constantly vulnerable to drowning.
Many fishermen operate without life jackets, and a significant number of children swim unsupervised in open water. Data shows that over 33% of fishermen in Uganda’s lakeside districts cannot swim—further escalating the risk.
The Drowning Prevention Project
Currently, Reach A Hand Uganda (RAHU) is implementing a two-year drowning prevention program under the campaign Omanyi Okuwuga (Do You Know How to Swim?). The initiative focuses on providing survival swimming skills and raising awareness in lakeside communities.
Under this project, so far 3 swimming pools have been constructed, each providing a district with a pool; murals with drowning prevention messages have been placed in various schools and a survival swimming guide has been developed.
The survival swimming guide is guiding information about survival swimming.
