The Ministry of Works and Transport has begun consultations on regulations under the Inland Water Transport Act, 2021, as recurring boat accidents continue to claim lives on Lake Victoria and other water bodies.
Uganda is moving to tighten safety requirements for boats operating on its inland waterways, with proposed regulations introducing stricter licensing, mandatory life-saving equipment and penalties of up to Shs4 million or five years in prison for operating an unregistered or unlicensed vessel.
The Ministry of Works and Transport has begun consultations on regulations under the Inland Water Transport Act, 2021, as recurring boat accidents continue to claim lives on Lake Victoria and other water bodies.
The consultations come against the backdrop of major maritime tragedies, including the August 2023 Lake Victoria disaster in which at least 25 people died after an overloaded boat capsized near Nsazi Island, and a March 2026 accident in Mayuge District that killed six people, including a child.
The proposed regulations seek to establish clearer requirements for water transport operators and users, including safety obligations, licensing fees and penalties for non-compliance.
“People were being arrested on water bodies and taken to court only to be set free because there are no stipulated fines for people using water bodies,” said Dr Charles Luzigye, the assistant commissioner for Maritime Monitoring at the Ministry of Works and Transport.
“But the most important thing is to ensure safety of inland water bodies,” he added.
The ministry is consulting fisherfolk, boat operators, landing-site leaders and local council leaders to assess the proposed measures before a national validation meeting.
The initiative comes amid persistent concerns about maritime safety, with an estimated 3,000 people reportedly losing their lives annually on Uganda’s water bodies.
However, the Uganda Police Force’s 2025 Annual Crime Report recorded 111 fatalities associated with incidents on water bodies, alongside 96 bodies retrieved and 58 rescues. Lake Victoria accounted for 81 reported incidents, representing 64.1 per cent of the total, while Lake Kyoga registered 17 incidents.
The figures highlight the risks faced by people who depend on water transport, particularly where overloading, unsafe vessels, adverse weather and failure to use life-saving equipment turn routine journeys into emergencies.
One of the deadliest recent accidents occurred on August 2, 2023, when a large wooden boat known locally as a kinaala capsized near Nsazi Island as it travelled from Kalangala District towards Kasenyi landing site near Entebbe.
Police confirmed at least 25 deaths, with nine people rescued alive. The vessel was reportedly carrying 34 passengers and cargo. Police initially attributed the tragedy to overloading and severe weather conditions.
The disaster exposed the dangers faced by people travelling between islands and the mainland in wooden boats, particularly when passenger loads, cargo and changing weather conditions compromise safety.
The risks persisted. On April 6, 2025, a wooden cargo boat carrying charcoal from Kalangala towards Entebbe capsized after encountering strong winds near Kavenjanja landing site in Wakiso District.
The vessel reportedly had 12 people aboard. Five survivors were reported after the accident, while rescuers searched for seven missing people.
More recently, on March 17, 2026, a boat carrying 14 people from Buyengo landing site to Bugoto in Mayuge District capsized on Lake Victoria, killing six people and leaving eight survivors.
The boat had reportedly begun taking in water through cracks in its wooden structure. It was also carrying agricultural produce, including potatoes, bananas and jackfruit, alongside passengers.
Busoga East Police spokesperson Michael Kasadha confirmed the casualties, saying: “Out of the 14 passengers, eight were successfully rescued while six unfortunately lost their lives.”
Another major tragedy occurred on November 24, 2018, when MV Templar capsized near Mutima Beach in Mukono District while travelling from KK Beach at Ggaba towards K-Palm Beach.
The vessel was reportedly carrying more than 100 people. By the end of the recovery operation, 33 bodies had been recovered and 27 survivors recorded.
An investigation report identified unapproved modifications to the vessel’s hull as a factor that compromised its stability and buoyancy, contributing to the sinking.
Under the proposed regulations, the ministry intends to strengthen requirements for boat registration and licensing, safe manning, training and certification, among other measures.
Once approved, the regulations would introduce a penalty of Shs4 million, imprisonment for five years, or both for anyone found operating a boat that is not registered or licensed.
The regulations would also require every boat to carry life jackets for its passengers, with additional jackets available for emergencies.
The proposed measures are intended to strengthen accountability among boat operators and improve compliance with safety requirements on Uganda’s inland waterways.