By Gad Masereka
Kampala: Makerere University has put their swimming pool out of bounds after one of their students, James Uwimpuhwe, a second year student of Social Sciences, drowned in it on Sunday evening.
Uwimpuhwe, who was the sports minister in the Rwandan Students’ Association and also a student at Makerere University from Rwanda, was found dead in the swimming pool after drowning under unclear circumstances.
Our sources at MUK revealed that the late drowned at around 4:20Pm in the evening and was later discovered dead after 20 minutes, with the body suspends inside the swimming pool .
He was rushed to Abi Clinic in Wandegeya where was pronounced dead on arrival an the body was rushed to Mulago Hospital mortuary for postmortem.
According to his close friend, who is also the president of Rwandese Students’ Association at Makerere university, Taremwa Micheal Ngabo, told our reporter that “The late was swimming together with his friends in the swimming pool and unfortunately he died. The friends thought that he was diving, not knowing he had drowned at the bottom of the pool. He was rushed to Abi Clinic in Wandegeya but he had already died.” Said Ngabo.
The Local Council V Makerere University Miss Doreen Nyanjura told the Spy Uganda “The late was on Wednesday going to drown and was helped by the friends who were nearby that time but the second time he died. We have lost a lot of lives and government should put measures to end this.”
Boaz Nyesiga, a student at MUK who usually swims at the pool, blamed the University Management for only being interested in collecting money from the users instead of improving the facility.
He told our reports that “The swimming pool is in poor conditions, has no demarcations to separate the depth of the water and that the swimming pool has broken tiles that at times injure those who use it.”
Nyesiga added that “The life saver put there collect money from users instead of helping them and guiding them to swim.” He also expressed worry about continuous cases of committing suicide at the University and blamed the institution for not having a counseling team that would advise such students who are at times stressed.
The late will be buried in Butaka- Rubavu in western province of Rwanda. By press time the office of the dean of students was still in talks with the family members to release the University ambulance and also offer transport means for other students to travel this evening to bury their fellow student in Rwanda.
Management and Police at MUK have since closed the Swimming pool and sealed it off as a crime scene, while investigations continue.
