THE MAGIC BEHIND BUSHENYI WATER POND THAT KILLS ATLEAST THREE PEOPLE EVERY YEAR

By Kenneth Twinamatsiko

www.mknewslink.com

In Bushenyi—

Following this week’s suicidal drowning of a medical student at Bushenyi water pond, our reporter tried to investigate more about the water source which seems magical.

The body of Gideon Ndemire a student of Buhinga School of clinical officers (Fort Portal) and resident of Kakanju was early this week discovered floating on the water pond.

Ivan Gumisiriza a 17 year old house help at Beth Ntobotobo’s home who drowned when he had gone with his other three colleagues to swim in the pond is another victim.

The water Pond which was nicknamed “Ekiyaja kya Bushenyi” lies in the family land of Rugoogamu about 90 metres from Bushenyi police station along Bushenyi Ishaka High way.

Residents say that the pond which is part of Kajurigo swamp kills almost three people every year.  

According to Edgar Robert Rugoogamu Academic Registrar Uganda Technical College Elgon center, Ekiyanja kya Bushenyi was dug in the early 1960s to supply water to Bushenyi town dwellers.

Rugoogamu told www.mknewslink.com reporter that the water pond was later abandoned in 1980s for a new one in Nyaruzinga where NWSC currently gets water it supplies to Bushenyi district.

He added that as a family, they are planning to put this water pond to use again by carrying out fish farming and fencing it to restrict its access.

Rugoogamu said that they are also concerned about rate at which it drowns residents but they do not support the plans of covering it because in 2015 during a prolonged drought, it was the only water source that sustained the people of Bushenyi.