By Peter Luzinda
KABALE
An 18-year-old Senior One student is feared to have drowned in Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale District while learning how to swim.
Roland Ampeire, a boarding student at Lake Bunyonyi Community Vocational Secondary School, reportedly went swimming with a friend around midday in the Bufuka area of Mwendo Parish, Kitumba Sub-county on Sunday, 9th August, 2026.
According to information available, Ampeire was using a closed jerrycan as a floating aid as he tried to learn how to swim.
The jerrycan reportedly slipped from his hands, causing him to lose balance before he drowned.
His friend later informed the school administration, which contacted Ampeire’s family.
Ampeire’s father, James Tayebwa, from Kashenyi Village in Butenfa Parish, Rubaya Sub-county, has accused the school of negligence.
Tayebwa questioned how a boarding student was able to leave the school premises and go swimming without permission or supervision.
Local divers and swimmers were still searching for Ampeire’s body by the time of publication.
Neither the Uganda Police Force nor the school management had issued an official statement about the incident.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about swimming safety on Lake Bunyonyi, particularly among young people with limited swimming skills and without proper supervision or safety equipment.
