By URN
A crocodile has claimed the life of a fisherman, identified as Wathum on Lake Albert in Hoima District. The incident occurred at approximately 9 a.m on Sunday. Wathum, who was based at Kiryamboga landing site in Buseruka sub-county, had gone fishing when the crocodile emerged and grabbed him. He raised an alarm that drew the attention of other fishermen who rushed to his aid and rescued him from the crocodile’s grasp.
Despite their efforts, Wathum suffered severe injuries to his stomach and was rushed to Hoima Regional Referral Hospital for treatment. However, he was pronounced dead upon arrival due to excessive bleeding. James Tibasiima, a fellow fisherman at Kiryamboga landing site, recounted the attack and described the injuries inflicted by the crocodile as grave.
He said that Wathum bled profusely, and by the time they reached the hospital, there was nothing the doctors could do. Geofrey Kumakech, the Buseruka Sub County District Councilor, expressed concern over the increasing crocodile attacks on residents in the area. He appealed to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to intervene and relocate the crocodiles that pose a growing threat to the community.
Kumakech added that this is not the first incident, and the community is living in fear, urging UWA to take swift action to address the menace. Recurring crocodile attacks have become alarmingly frequent in Hoima District, particularly at Kiryamboga and Toonya landing sites. In May 2023, a 72-year-old fisherman, Richard Onviko, was killed by a crocodile while fishing at Toonya landing site.
His cries for help went unanswered as he was too far from other fishermen to be rescued. In July 2018, an 18-year-old woman, Maureen Vicky, was severely injured by a crocodile while collecting firewood near River Wambabya in Kiryamboga.
She sustained critical injuries to her stomach, legs, and hands. Efforts to reach UWA for comment on the recent incident were unsuccessful by press time. The community continues to call for urgent action to ensure their safety and reduce the threat posed by crocodiles in the area.
