Jinja, Uganda: Fresh details have emerged on the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) Engineer Gershom Rwakasanga, who drowned at Busowoko Falls in Jinja on the afternoon of Saturday, October 11, while spending time with his daughter.
Rwakasanga, who served as Manager for Terminals Development & Operations at the Jinja Storage Terminal, reportedly slipped and fell into the River Nile waters while off duty and had gone to Jinja for a weekend treat.
According to eyewitnesses, the tragic incident occurred between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. when Gershom approached the scenic rapids to take photographs. “He is believed to have slipped and fallen into the powerful falls, where he was quickly swept away by the current,” one eyewitness recounted.
A joint team comprising police, emergency responders, and local residents carried out an extensive search operation before recovering the body.
Ashraf Kitamilike, a tour guide at Busowoko Beach, said Rwakasanga was a regular visitor who arrived on Saturday with his daughter.
“Eng. Rwakasanga has been a familiar client who often came with friends, but yesterday he came with his daughter in a relaxed mood,” Kitamilike said. “Moments later, his daughter screamed for help when he fell into the water.”
Local diver Richard Kasakya said rescuers searched throughout the evening without success, only for sand miners to recover the body the following day.
In a statement released Sunday morning, UNOC confirmed the recovery of Gershom’s body, whose death they described as a heartbreaking loss to the institution and to Uganda’s energy sector.
“It is with deep sorrow that we inform the public that the body of our colleague, Eng. Gershom Rwakasanga, has been recovered from the River Nile following the tragic incident at Busowoko Falls,” UNOC said. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to Gershom’s family, friends, and all who worked closely with him. Our collective thoughts and prayers are with all affected by this tragic loss.”
Busowoko Beach Managing Director, Abudala Suuta, who spoke to journalists on Sunday, described the incident as the first of its kind at the facility, insisting that all safety protocols were in place.
“There are warning signs and restricted zones, but sometimes visitors underestimate the strength of the current,” Suuta said, warning that “the water may seem calm, but it’s extremely powerful underneath.”
Rwakasanga’s death adds to the growing number of drowning incidents across Uganda. According to the Uganda Police Annual Crime Report 2023, at least 138 people drowned between January and December 2023, with 243 bodies retrieved from lakes and rivers nationwide.
Busowoko Falls, located along the Nile in Busowoko village, Butagaya Sub-county, has become a popular site for adventure activities, including kayaking, tubing, water massage, and camping, despite its notoriously slippery rocks and strong water currents.
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