Uganda: Lake Bunyonyi - the School Journey That Begins With a Gamble

What the report says

Nile Post reports that daily travel to school around Lake Bunyonyi in southwestern Uganda remains risky for children and teachers who rely on wooden canoes to cross between islands and the mainland. The lake, shared by communities in Kabale and Rubanda districts, serves as transport, livelihood and access route to schools, health care and markets, but the crossings can be dangerous because boats may be small, overcrowded or poorly equipped.

The article focuses on recent deaths that underscore the problem, including Roland Ampeire, a Senior One student at Lake Bunyonyi Community Vocational Secondary School, who drowned while swimming with a friend in the Bufuka area. It also cites police-recorded incidents in July and August 2026 involving a student who drowned while bathing, a juvenile who died after entering the water near grazing grounds, and five children whose canoe capsized. In a separate case, Musamba Primary School headteacher Johnson Tumukunde also drowned after a canoe accident.

Nile Post says the dangers are not new. In 2021, Lions Clubs distributed life jackets to seven schools and communities around the lake, but that step did not eliminate the underlying risk because children still must cross the water every school day. Police Deputy Commander of the Marine Police Richard Okullu says different activities on and around the lake create multiple safety hazards, especially for children who may not have strong swimming skills.

The report presents Lake Bunyonyi as a place where education depends on water travel, making safety planning a recurring concern for families, schools and local authorities.