There has been slight yet significant progress in the operation to retrieve from Lake Victoria the sunken vessel that killed over 33 people last Saturday. The boat capsized on Saturday night last week while transporting partiers from KK beach in Ggaba to K-Palm beach in Mukono district.
Although efforts to retrieve the wreckage using excavators and bulldozers again failed after the wire cables yet again snapped, police director of operations Asuman Mugyenyi said now that the wreckage has been pulled from underneath the lake using the MV Kalangala ferry, it's no longer a question of if but when the wreckage will be retrieved.
According to Mugyenyi the police and marine units are now exploring three options - anchoring the wreckage to the shores, dragging it further into the deeper waters so it can be pulled by a heavier ferry to Port Bell or cutting it to pieces.
The vessel retrieving mission that has now entered into the third day has become a frustrating effort to all involved including divers, operators of MV Kalangala ferry which is being used to pull the wreckage, police and marine officers, anticipating families among others. Today three families showed up tracing for their relative suspected to have been on ill fated boat.
The missing persons as reported to police include; Peter Kakooza, a resident of Masaka, Sylvia Namutebi from Nakisunga, Godfrey Musisi from Kabalagala and Andrew Ssenyonga from Kireka in Wakiso district.
So far 33 bodies have been retrieved from the lake while 27 people were rescued from the lake.
BRYAN WHITE, ENGINEERS CLASH
Kampala socialite Brian Kirumira aka Bryan White who has been an ever-present figure at Mutima beach since the accident, today clashed with engineers from the ministry of Works and Transport.
Kirumira who's guarded by about four presidential guards is reportedly funding the wreckage retrieving mission and is always seen giving orders to the usually obedient police and marine units on how to pull out the vessel.
"That man is very clueless. This is a technical issue, he should stick to what he knows best - dishing out money. He's giving out orders on things he doesn't know about." said one engineer after he was ordered by Kirumira on which cable wires to use.
Asked by journalists in which capacity Kirumira was giving out orders, Mugyenyi said the socialite is part of the civil society and volunteering community who are pooling together efforts and ideas to retrieve the vessel from the lake as quickly as possible.
Later, police public relations officer, Zurah Ganyana dismissed allegations that Kirumira is funding the operations challenging journalists to put him to task to explain exactly how much he has contributed and to what.
"What is he funding exactly, fuelling of the government trucks? Those came with their own fuel. Please put him to task to explain what he says he's funding. All he did was to come with four divers from KK beach to add on our 8 divers." she said.
Meanwhile, State House based Maj Gen Proscovia Nalweyiso was overheard saying they have to look for the marine officer who was allegedly bribed Buganda kingdom prince David Wasajja to let the cruise go on the ill fated ferry. Wasajja was reportedly among the organisers of the cruise.
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