Boat Cruise Accident: Hon. Betty Nambooze Warned About This Accident In September!

When a boat of over 300 got capsized in Tanzania on September 22nd, Mukono Member of Parliament: Hon.Betty Bakireke Nambooze came out and questioned how ready Uganda is for such a tragedy.

Her questions however went unanswered and here is the tragedy.

Below is Nambooze’s Post From September.

WE ARE MOURNING WITH TANZANIA BUT IS UGANDA LEARNING ANYTHING?

A Tanzania water vessel MV Nyerere ferry, capsized on Lake Victoria near Ukara island on its way from Bugorora on Thursday.By the end of today the death toll had passed 200 as the Country got more worrying news that this ferry with only 100 passenger capacity might have been carrying up to 400 people.

Death even at a distance hurts us all…yet Tanzania is not far,we are almost one country sharing not only boarders but also many things in the social,economical and political spheres…it therefore very hurting that such a tradegy befell our brothers and sisters.

Until recently when I fell sick,I would travel to Buvuma islands by ferry at least twice in a month on a ferry. I must admit that I don’t know the capacity of this ferry,so when it docks it’s loaded with as many cars,lorries and their loads as
can be fitted there with as many passengers as we can squeeze there….in addition there is no register where the names of those on board are recorded and left behind before it gets waterborne.

Hearing about the agony of our neighbours with a frustrated and angry President Magufuli ordering for the arrest of the ferry Managers, I would wish to request Allen Kagina and her UNRA to take lessons from this sad incidence to avoid similar catastrophes in Uganda.

Lastly,looking at the rescue mechanism posessed by the Tanzanias one can’t but get sad….Tanzania a country with a Sea access would be expected to be better equipped in dealing with such accidents…imagine this accident occurred just fifty metres from the dock and not deep in the lake but still the secure reaction is inappropriate…. t’s so sad that their SOS intervention is done in so rudimentary a manner. Meanwhile how prepared is Uganda…most probably the story is similar or even worse.

Our prayers for the bereveared families and to the dead we say RIP.