Body of Lake Bunyonyi student recovered four days after drowning

What the report says

The body of a 22-year-old Senior Four student from Lake Bunyonyi Senior Secondary School in Kabale District has been recovered from Lake Bunyonyi, four days after he drowned while trying to swim across the water body, according to The Independent Uganda. The student, Samuel Amanya, was a resident of Kaberu-Katooma Village in Mwendo Parish, Kitumba Sub-county, and his school is located on Bwama Island.

The report says Amanya had travelled by canoe from Katooma Village to Itambira Island and later tried to return after finding that the canoe he had used was no longer where he had left it. He is said to have attempted the swim between Itambira and Bwama islands on Saturday, October 3, 2026, around 11 a.m., and drowned during the crossing. Marine police and local residents searched for him, but the initial efforts did not find the body.

His body was later seen floating on the lake on Wednesday morning and was recovered by Simon Byamukama, a director of Paradise Eco-Hub Foundation, and Silas Nomwesigwa, who was caring for the deceased. The body was then taken to the family home in Katooma Village, with burial reportedly planned for the same day.

The article also notes that this is the second reported drowning involving a student from the school, offering broader context about the risks faced by people traveling on Lake Bunyonyi, where canoe transport is common and water safety remains a concern.