Three children drown in Nakasongola dam

Nakasongola, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Three children have drowned in a valley dam in Kimole village, Nakasongola district.

The children have been identified as Boney Kato and Benon Wasswa, twins aged around 10 years. They were pupils of Kisaalizi Primary school.

The third has been identified as Daphne Ssebicu, aged around seven years, a pupil at Biwumbi Junior Primary school.

The twins were living with their grandmother Margaret Nankubuge from whom they escaped to go swimming at midday. The third child belonged to Godfrey Wajja, a resident of Kimole village in Lwampanga sub-county.

Benon Mbowa, the LC1 chairman of Kimole explains that the children drowned after they escaped from their homes and went swimming into the community valley dam.

Mbowa says that he learnt about their drowning after another child found their clothes on the ground but couldn’t trace them.

He added that the relatives and residents later managed to retrieve the dead bodies before police arrived at the scene to pick them for postmortem.

The dead bodies were later handed over to families to be buried later on Monday.

Jonathan Akweteireho the Nakasongola Deputy Resident District Commissioner confirmed the incident and asked parents to be vigilant about their children to avoid such accidents.

“We have registered other cases of drowning in the district but all are blamed on negligence,” Akweteireho said. “We shall need to sensitise communities on such accidents.”

In October this year, Isaac Olo aged 25 years and Peter Wangoli aged 45 years also drowned at Ochidi farm located at Kikangula village, Wabinyonyi sub-county in Nakasongola district.

The two drowned while cleaning an underground tank at the farm.

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