lake Victoria boat tragedy is said to be a case of ignorance .
Music and booze-filled party cruises around Lake Victoria are a rite of passage of sorts for fun-seeking young Ugandans, but the one that pushed off into the waters Saturday night seemed doomed from the start.
Details emerging reveal that those on board had been warned that the boat had a mechanical problem but insisted to sail and even paid more money.
Originally the departure time was 12pm but for some unknown reasons, the boat delayed until 5pm.
People used this time to drink [alcohol]. When the boat finally came, it was big and could not come to the shores.
We instead used canoes to board it. Before we could go far, the boat started losing balance.
We ignored this and thought it was normal because we were told in the beginning that the waves would affect its balance.
As we kept moving, we suddenly realized water was entering the boat. A helmsman told us to sit side by side such that we could balance the boat.
By now, we were in the middle of the lake and waves were stronger. Musical systems started falling off.
At this moment, all of us went to the upper side of the boat as one side had already been submerged.
The upper side also started sinking and suddenly we saw our friends drop into the water one by one.
We were close to Mutima Country Haven Beach.
Some of the people there realised something was wrong and started sending canoes to help.
Those who survived held on the edge of the boat until the rescue team came.
We had some life jackets but some people did not wear them. Some said having jackets would spoil their sense of style when taking pictures for social media.
Some were very drunk and could not listen to instructions of wearing life jackets.
I survived by God’s mercy because I did not know how to swim.
We were going to have some fun on the island but personally, I was going to supply drinks as I have always done.
Everything was shrouded in mystery.
First, the boat came in at 5pm yet it was slated to be there at midday.
As soon as we started the journey, the engine kept going on and off.
We would reach at some point and the engine stops working completely, then the boat would just float.
The people responsible would repair it and then we would continue the journey with assurance that the boat was fine and it was the waves causing some problems.
But when we reached the middle of the lake, the waves intensified and we could see that the boat was losing balance but management reassured us that we would reach safely.
Soon, water starting entering the boat which made people to get scared.
Many ran to the upper deck. Water increased, the music speakers fell into the water, and then the generator also fell.
The boat was left swaying on the water, the engine could not work anymore. We were more than 100 people on board.
It was at this moment the boat started capsizing.
Even the good swimmers found it hard to get out of the trap. What helped me was the life jacket. Many did not have.
I fought hard to get out and even hurt my eye while trying to find a way out from the bottom.
The boat was too slippery and I found it hard to hold on it. Luckily in my struggles, I chanced on a way out and climbed the upper part of the boat.
I started calling for help. Those at Mutima beach heard our cries and came to our rescue.
The first rescue canoe that came capsized too when it was overwhelmed by the number of people [seeking to enter it].
Boat accidents are increasingly common on East Africa’s large lakes, including Lake Victoria, which is surrounded by Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya, and is larger than Switzerland.
Saturday’s tragedy was the second large-scale sinking on Lake Victoria in two months. In September, nearly 150 people died after a ferry carrying hundreds of people capsized on the Tanzanian side of the lake, the BBC reported. The ferry had a capacity of 100 people, but 400 had people climbed aboard, many of them carrying goods for nearby markets.