S.4 student drowns while swimming across Lake Bunyonyi

Police in Rubanda District are investigating the death of a Senior Four student who drowned while attempting to swim across Lake Bunyonyi.

The deceased, Samuel Amanya, 22, was a student at Lake Bunyonyi Senior Secondary School-Bwama on Bwama Island.

Kigezi police spokesperson Nelson Tumushime said the incident happened at about 11am on October 3, 2026, between Bwama and Itambira landing sites.

Police said Amanya had paddled a canoe from Katoma to Itambira Island and reached safely.

However, when he prepared to return, he reportedly found that someone had taken the canoe from where he had left it.

“The deceased decided to swim across the lake but drowned midway between Itambira and Bwama islands,” Tumushime said.

“Police Marine officers, with the help of local divers, visited the scene and retrieved the body from the lake,” he added.

Police said preliminary findings point to drowning, but investigations are continuing to establish the full circumstances of Amanya’s death.

Tumushime urged parents, guardians, schools and residents around Lake Bunyonyi to warn learners against swimming in deep waters without adult supervision or life jackets.

Lake Bunyonyi communities depend heavily on canoes and other small boats for daily transport. Residents use them to reach schools, health facilities, farms, markets and neighbouring islands.

The incident has again highlighted the dangers faced by residents who rely on water transport across the lake.