A canoe accident on Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale District has claimed the lives of a mother and her two-year-old daughter after strong winds capsized their boat on Monday evening.
The deceased, identified only as Joyous and her baby girl, were residents of Kagugo-Murungu Village in Kitooma Parish, Rubaya Sub-county.
The incident occurred at around 8:30 pm as they were returning from a burial in Kyevu Village, Nyamiryango Parish, Butanda Sub-county.
According to eyewitness Dickson Kamuhanda, Joyous was travelling in a wooden canoe with two men whose identities are still unknown when sudden strong winds hit the lake, causing the vessel to overturn.
The two men reportedly managed to swim to safety, while Joyous and her child drowned.
Another resident, Peter Mugyenyi, said locals immediately launched a search operation after the incident. He confirmed that Joyous’ body was recovered on Tuesday morning, while the child’s body had not yet been found by press time.
He added that the victims were travelling without life jackets at the time of the accident.
Authorities have continued to raise concerns about recurring water transport accidents on Lake Bunyonyi, which are often linked to sudden weather changes and lack of safety equipment.
Drowning incidents on the lake remain frequent. In September 2025, a student of Lake Bunyonyi Secondary School and a school cook drowned after a canoe capsized. In April 2025, two residents of Rubanda District also lost their lives in a similar incident, while in August 2023, two students of the same school drowned under comparable circumstances.
Earlier tragedies include the death of three people in 2020 when strong winds overturned their canoe, and a 2009 incident in which seven people drowned while travelling to a Catholic conference in Butanda Sub-county.
