Lake Bunyonyi marine police on the spot over alleged extortion

By Libino Byamukama

apearlnews.com

Residents  around Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale District are faulting the marine police officers at the lake for alleged extortion.    

Lake Bunyonyi, which covers the districts of Kabale and Rubanda in southwestern Uganda, is believed to be the second deepest lake in Africa after Lake Tanganyika.

In June 2021, the Uganda Police Force established a marine detachment on Lake Bunyonyi after local authorities led by the former Rubanda district LC 5 chairman, Kenneth Jogo Biryabarema, and his former Kabale counterpart, the late Patrick Besigye Keihwa, had pushed for the permanent deployment of marine police on the lake to cease cases of drowning.

    According to locals and helmsmen, the unit was to focus on ensuring safety by offering services to the people crossing the lake and tourists that do boat cruising and diving, as well as sensitizing the general public on water safety and preventive measures to be followed while on the lake.  

They say it is now soliciting money from them.   Sergeant Niwamanya, Milton Officer In-charge Bunyonyi Marine Police says that it’s true that they are doing operations on the lake to enforce the mandatory wearing of life-saving jackets and stop overloading that puts lives at stake.

He admits that those who fail to comply are penalized.       Munyambabazi Simpson, a boat captain at Lake Bunyonyi, says that it’s hard for them to fulfill the demands of the police officers, like providing life jackets to all the passengers, because of the inflation that is in Uganda today.  He called upon the government to come to their rescue.    

    At Lc11 Nyamiryango-Kyevu in Kabale District, a motorboat owner says that the exorbitant charges they are asking for are affecting their income because they are just recovering from COVID lockdown.       Biheiga Robert, the chairperson of the Motorboat operators and owners Association at Lake Bunyonyi, says that they have already invited the Marine police to have a meeting to find a lasting solution to their grievances.  

    This is not the first time that Ugandan police have been implicated in corruption scandals; in April of last year, police confirmed the dismissal of 150 officers due to corruption.