Musician King Saha Composes Song for Boat Accident Victims

Written by: 
Rebecca Nalumansi

 

Some Ugandan artistes have produced a tribute song about the Lake Victoria boat accident on Saturday that has so far claimed 32 lives with many victims still missing.

Up to 100 people, some sources put the number at 150, were aboard a private boat when it capsized on the evening of November 24 at about 7pm. The boat was carrying revelers from KK Beach in Ggaba, Kampala to Mutima Beach in Mpatta Sub County, Mukono district when it capsized. The incident happened a short distance from the shore off Mutima Mutola Island.

Operations resumed this morning as the army and police marines search for victims of the boat accident on Lake Victoria on Saturday that has so far claimed 32 lives.

Twenty-six people survived the accident and those in critical condition were taken to hospital. Those who survived include Prince David Wasajja, a brother to Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi.

By the time the operations were halted on Sunday night due to darkness, at least 32 bodies had been recovered from the lake. Among the dead are businessman Templar Bisaso and his wife, the owners of the ill-fated boat. Sheila Gashishiri Mbonimpa, a 37-year-old alumnus of the Department of Journalism and Communication, is also among the dead.

President Yoweri Museveni issued a statement on Sunday expressing his condolences to the families of the deceased.

"On behalf of all Ugandans, I send condolences to the families of the people who died in the accident on Lake Victoria last evening," reads the Statement in part

And now musician King Saha has come up with a tribute song titled "See you gain". In the song, Saha laments and condemns “Walumbe”, a Luganda that means “death”, for snatching people out of the world. He posted this on his Facebook page.

Reactions

Mugalula Bella, while commenting on the post, said she was speechless while Tumukunde Angellah said she “can't believe what happened”.  Kkoba Stephen said he couldn’t stop crying.  "Can't stop crying, what to do with life?!!  God!!".

Transport Minister Aggrey Bagiire told NTV Fourth Estate that people were alerted about the mechanical condition of the boat but since majority of them were drunk, they couldn't listen to the warnings. He said the boat was in a questionable state and it was forbidden to transport the people on water since it lacked a license but its captain forcefully started the engine and left the three policemen who were to accompany the passengers on their journey.

"The security of the area advised the people to use another boat since Caribbean Feast boat was in poor mechanical condition and besides after repair it was not tested," explained Bagiire.

A survivor was quoted by NTV as saying: “The boat itself had a problem. The engine would go off by itself and it also had a hole through which water was entering. When we spoke out, they told us the boat will be stable.”

 

Photo picked from ABC.net.au