MV Bukoba
Encyclopedia
MV Bukoba was a Lake Victoria ferry
that carried passengers and cargo between the Tanzania
n ports of Bukoba
and Mwanza
. On 21 May 1996 she sank with great loss of life, reported as up to 1000 passengers drowned. This occurred in 25 metres (14 fathom) of water, 30 nautical miles (56 km) off Mwanza.
Bukoba was built in about 1979 and had capacity for 850 tons of cargo and 430 passengers. The manifest showed 443 passengers in her first and second class cabins, but her cheaper third class accommodation had no manifest. Abu Ubaidah al-Banshiri
, who was then second in command of Al Qaeda, died in the disaster.
Possible causes were identified by Captain Joseph Muguthi, formerly a captain in the Kenya Navy
, and writing in the pages of the Daily Nation
as a marine navigation consultant. He labelled it an accident waiting to happen, as Lake Victoria ferries disregarded safety regulations. Specifically:
More overarchingly, Muguthi blamed the incident on governments' marine departments being staffed by civil servants and politicians who have no understanding of ships and marine decisions.
The lack of equipment and divers were partially to blame for slowness in the salvage operation. Rescue teams from South Africa
, including Navy divers, were flown in to salvage the ship and retrieve bodies.
President
Benjamin Mkapa
declared three days of national mourning. Criminal charges were brought against nine Tanzania Railway Corporation officials, including the captain
of the Bukoba and the manager of TRC's Marine Division.
Lake Victoria ferries
Lake Victoria ferries are motor ships carrying freight and passengers between Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya on Lake Victoria...
that carried passengers and cargo between the Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
n ports of Bukoba
Bukoba
Bukoba is a town in northwest Tanzania on the western shore of Lake Victoria. It is the capital of the Kagera region. Population estimate: 100,000...
and Mwanza
Mwanza
Mwanza is a mid-sized port city on the southern shores of Lake Victoria in northwestern Tanzania. With an urban population of 1.2 million and a metropolitan population of 2 million, it is Tanzania's second largest city, following Dar es Salaam and ahead of other major Tanzanian cities of Arusha,...
. On 21 May 1996 she sank with great loss of life, reported as up to 1000 passengers drowned. This occurred in 25 metres (14 fathom) of water, 30 nautical miles (56 km) off Mwanza.
Bukoba was built in about 1979 and had capacity for 850 tons of cargo and 430 passengers. The manifest showed 443 passengers in her first and second class cabins, but her cheaper third class accommodation had no manifest. Abu Ubaidah al-Banshiri
Abu Ubaidah al-Banshiri
Abu Ubaidah al-Banshiri was the nom de guerre of Ali Amin al-Rashidi , one of the "most capable and popular leaders" of al-Qaeda....
, who was then second in command of Al Qaeda, died in the disaster.
Possible causes were identified by Captain Joseph Muguthi, formerly a captain in the Kenya Navy
Kenya Navy
Kenya Navy is the naval branch of Kenyan military forces. It is headquartered in Mombasa. Kenya Navy was established on December 12, 1964, exactly one year after Kenya gained independence. It was preceded by the colonial Royal East African Navy...
, and writing in the pages of the Daily Nation
Daily Nation
The Daily Nation is a Kenyan independent newspaper. It is the most influential newspaper in Kenya with a daily circulation of about 205,000 copies. The total readership is likely to be higher as each copy is read by a large number of people...
as a marine navigation consultant. He labelled it an accident waiting to happen, as Lake Victoria ferries disregarded safety regulations. Specifically:
- lack of life jackets, life rings, and life boats
- lack of fire fighting equipment
- lack of distress signals
- what equipment there is, is not regularly checked
- the vessels are not regularly dry dockDry dockA drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform...
ed for routine maintenance and repairs - the vessels are not regularly inspected
- the coxswainCoxswainThe coxswain is the person in charge of a boat, particularly its navigation and steering. The etymology of the word gives us a literal meaning of "boat servant" since it comes from cox, a coxboat or other small vessel kept aboard a ship, and swain, which can be rendered as boy, in authority. ...
are not licensed to navigate
More overarchingly, Muguthi blamed the incident on governments' marine departments being staffed by civil servants and politicians who have no understanding of ships and marine decisions.
The lack of equipment and divers were partially to blame for slowness in the salvage operation. Rescue teams from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, including Navy divers, were flown in to salvage the ship and retrieve bodies.
President
President of Tanzania
The President of the United Republic of Tanzania is the head of state and head of government of Tanzania. The president leads the executive branch of the Government of Tanzania and is the commander-in-chief of the Tanzania People's Defence Force....
Benjamin Mkapa
Benjamin Mkapa
Benjamin William Mkapa was the third President of the United Republic of Tanzania and former Chairman for the Revolutionary State Party .-Biography:...
declared three days of national mourning. Criminal charges were brought against nine Tanzania Railway Corporation officials, including the captain
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
of the Bukoba and the manager of TRC's Marine Division.