At least eight charcoal dealers are in custody at Kagadi Central Police Station for allegedly engaging in illegal activities in the Bugoma Central Forest Reserve.
The suspects, whose particulars have been withheld to avoid jeopardizing police investigations, were arrested on Wednesday afternoon while attempting to transport several bags of charcoal across River Nguse using three locally made canoes. They were reportedly crossing from Kikuube District to Kagadi District at the time of their arrest. The three locally made canoes used to transport the charcoal were also impounded.
Sulaiman Birungi, the Commandant of the Marine Police, who is spearheading search operations for victims of the River Nguse boat tragedy, told Uganda Radio Network (URN) that the suspects were intercepted on Wednesday afternoon while attempting to cross the river at the same spot where a recent fatal boat accident occurred in Kyaleni Cell, Paacwa Town Council, Kagadi District.
He says their team spotted the charcoal dealers attempting to cross River Nguse using locally made canoes loaded with several bags of charcoal and immediately swung into action to arrest them. The three locally made canoes, along with several bags of charcoal, were impounded.
According to Birungi, following the recent boat tragedy on River Nguse that claimed several lives, security agencies suspended the use of locally made canoes for transporting people across the river, but some residents have continued to defy the directive.
He says police and Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers will remain deployed along the riverbanks to ensure that no locally made canoe is used to transport people.
Caroline Nashemeza, the Kagadi Resident District Commissioner (RDC), warned that security agencies have intensified operations against people crossing from Kagadi to Kikuube District to engage in illegal activities in Bugoma Forest using locally made canoes. Last Tuesday, a boat loaded with passengers and several bags of charcoal capsized on River Nguse, claiming several lives.
The incident occurred at around 8:30 p.m. in Kyaleni Cell, Pacwa Town Council, Kagadi District, where more than 20 people are feared dead.Police reports indicate that the locally made canoe was carrying 39 passengers alongside several bags of charcoal. Seventeen people survived the accident.
The victims are believed to have been mainly charcoal burners and farmers returning from Kikuube District, where they had gone for charcoal burning and farming activities.Following the accident, joint rescue operations by the Police Marine Unit and the UPDF Marine Unit were launched to search for victims.
Since then, 10 bodies have been retrieved from the river and handed over to relatives for burial. Police investigations indicate that the canoe had a carrying capacity of only 15 passengers but was overloaded with 39 people at the time of the accident.
The vessel had no engine and was instead propelled manually using sticks. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has donated UGX 150 million to support families that lost relatives in the tragedy.
The donation was announced by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja while addressing district leaders and bereaved families at the accident scene in Kyaleni Cell, Pacwa Town Council, Kagadi District, last Friday. Nabbanja said each bereaved family will receive UGX 5 million to assist with burial arrangements.
She also directed district leaders and security officials to compile a comprehensive list of all affected victims and their families to ensure proper distribution of the funds. URN