The President of Uganda Yoweri Museveni has today responded to the Lake Victoria Tragedy where a cruise boat capsized killing 30 people, and the death toll expected to rise even as rescue missions continue.
The President sent his condolences to the families affected by the accident that happened yesterday night at Mpatta Sub-county in Mukono District, Uganda.
On behalf of all Ugandans, I send condolences to the families of the people who died in the accident on Lake Victoria last evening. According to preliminary information from the security services, this, apparently, was a private, unregistered, unlicensed and maybe uninsured boat.
— Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) November 25, 2018
“On behalf of all Ugandans, I send condolences to the families of the people who died in the accident on Lake Victoria last evening. According to preliminary information from the security services, this, apparently, was a private, unregistered, unlicensed and maybe uninsured boat,” said President Museveni in a tweet on his official Twitter account.
According to the President, the cruise boat was private, unregistered, unlicensed and possibly uninsured.
President Museveni also said that the boat was owned by Templa Bissase/Bissaso and his wife both of whom, are believed to have perished in the accident as they were coming from a private beach and headed to another one in Mukono area.
According to the Ugandan President, the boat was overloaded with about 120 passengers on board yet it had only a capacity for 50 people. Museveni now says that those on board seemed to be partying with loud music and therefore, might not have heard the emergency call from the captain,who is still yet to be found.
The President and his government have now ordered the electronic registration and monitoring of all the boats so that they can have information regarding who is on the lake, where and why.
This is why, apart from the anti-bad fishing campaign which the UPDF has been carrying out for some months now on the lakes, the government has also ordered the electronic registration and monitoring of all the boats so that we can know who is where on the lake and why.
— Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) November 25, 2018
“This is why, apart from the anti-bad fishing campaign which the UPDF has been carrying out for some months now on the lakes, the government has also ordered the electronic registration and monitoring of all the boats so that we can know who is where on the lake and why,” said President Museveni.
He further asked the people of Uganda to take warning and learn form this tragedy saying that he has previously crossed Lake Tanganyika and Lake Victoria on small boats and canoes which he found dangerous especially when one is not prepared with things such as standby engines, life jackets or reliable navigation.
Lastly, President Museveni said that the operators of the boat will be charged with criminal negligence and manslaughter, if they have not already been punished for their mistake by dying in the accident.
Do you think the President was insensitive by insinuating that the owners of the boat should be punished by dying in the Lake Victoria accident?