On Sunday, 24th November marked one year since MV Templar capsized on Lake Victoria about 500 metres away at Mutima beach in Mukono district.
The boat, which was carrying nearly 100 revellers heading to K palm beach capsized after developing mechanical problems and 31 people lost their lives.
Some of the survivors and residents of the community around the accident site converged at Mutima beach over the weekend to pray for those who lost their lives.
Arnold Ssimbwa, one of the survivors said: “I went to the spot where the boat capsized and I paid my respects and I thought I had healed but when I came here, I actually broke down I could see things a fresh.”
He said the experience he got from the incident made him to re-evaluate his life and now he is an advocate for safe water transport.
“Personally, I am an ambassador of safe water that helps people to learn how to survive in water in case of an accident. That is all i can do basing on what i passed through,” he said.
He noted that despite of the fateful incident that took place last year, some people were seen on the boat without life jackets.
“The only new thing that i have seen that government promised to do is that the boats have number plates but i don’t think they are in a better mechanical condition. I have seen two people on the boat with life Jackets,” he said.
During the prayers, the survivors also managed to get scholarships for the kids of the late fisherman who died while trying to save lives.
“We have built the village church plus one classroom block and we have also managed to get scholarships for the two surviving kids for the late Owek for their education,” Francis Ssenkezi MV templar survivor said.
The saviours also dismissed that allegations that they had abandoned the locals.
The prince of Buganda David Wasajja also survived the accident and together with his wife joined other survivors to donate items to the families of people who saved them.
