At least three people have been confirmed dead, while several others remain missing following a tragic boat accident on Lake Victoria near Bugoto landing site in Bukabooli Sub County, Mayuge District.

The yet-to-be-identified victims include one adult woman and two children, highlighting the devastating human toll of the incident. Authorities have also confirmed that four people were successfully rescued alive and are currently receiving medical attention, although their condition has not yet been publicly disclosed.
According to Busoga East Police spokesperson Michael Kasadha, the fatal incident occurred on Wednesday when a boat carrying an unspecified number of passengers capsized under circumstances that remain unclear. Preliminary reports suggest that the vessel may have been overloaded or encountered rough waters, though investigations are still ongoing to establish the exact cause.
Eyewitnesses at Bugoto landing site described scenes of panic and desperation as the boat overturned, throwing passengers into the water. Local fishermen and residents are said to have rushed to the scene in a bid to rescue those struggling in the lake, playing a critical role in saving the four survivors.
Police and marine rescue teams have since launched an intensive search and rescue operation, combing the waters for any additional survivors or bodies. The operation is being supported by local volunteers familiar with the area, as authorities race against time amid fears that more people could still be unaccounted for.
The number of passengers who were on board at the time of the accident remains unknown, complicating efforts to determine how many individuals are still missing. Officials have urged families with missing relatives to report to the nearest police stations to aid in identification and coordination of rescue efforts.
The incident once again raises concerns about water transport safety on Lake Victoria, where cases of overcrowding, lack of life jackets, and poor weather monitoring have often contributed to fatal accidents. Authorities have repeatedly called for stricter enforcement of maritime safety regulations to prevent such tragedies.
This is a developing story, and more details will be provided as investigations continue and rescue operations progress.

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Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao has repeated his controversial description of Parliament’s leadership, insisting that Anita Annet Among is an accidental Speaker and challenged critics to reflect on the circumstances that led to her rise.

Speaking at the Democratic Party (DP) headquarters on Balintuma Road, Mao defended his remarks, saying they have been widely misunderstood and taken out of context.

“When I said we have an accidental speaker, I saw a lot of rage. But the answer is in the dictionary. If you open a dictionary, ‘accidental’ means ‘unplanned, unintended’ unless they are saying there was an intention and there was a plan,” Mao said.

He added, “So, was there a plan that the late speaker should die? Was that an intention?”

Mao linked his argument to the death of former Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, whose passing in 2022 created a vacancy that eventually ushered Among into the top parliamentary seat.

“Unfortunately, we lost Jacob Oulanyah, so we got an accidental Speaker. It was not supposed to be that way,” he said.

The Laroo-Pece MP-elect emphasized that his decision to join the speakership race stems from dissatisfaction with the current leadership, saying he does not feel adequately represented.

He maintained that his comments are not personal attacks but rather a reflection of how the current leadership emerged.

“Some people have chosen to misunderstand it,” Mao said.

He added that the next Speaker should come in through a deliberate and competitive process rather than circumstance.

Mao, who is also president general of the Democratic Party, expressed confidence in his bid for the position in the 12th Parliament.

“We are going to take over that House in the name of the people,” he said.

He also pushed back against critics questioning DP’s political positioning, especially in light of its cooperation agreement with the ruling establishment.

“Now is opposition. And remember, they are the ones who have been saying that they married DP. So you married DP, but now that the position of Speaker is at stake, you say DP is opposition,” Mao said.

“They are saying we do not know anything about it, but that is a public document… because the position of Speaker is at stake, there is now denial,” he added.

Mao further hinted at a broader strategy in the unfolding race.

“Not all my cards are facing up. Many of my cards are facing down, and nobody knows them,” he said.

His remarks come amid an intensifying contest for the Speakership of Parliament, where he is positioning himself as a challenger to Among.

However, Among, the Bukedea District Woman MP rejected the accidental Speaker label and maintained that her election by over 400 Members of Parliament affirms her legitimacy.

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The Constitutional Court of Uganda has nullified key provisions of the Computer Misuse Act, including the 2022 Amendment, ruling that they violate the Constitution by unjustifiably restricting fundamental rights. 

The judgement was delivered on March 17, 2026, by a bench sitting in Kampala.

The petition was filed by a coalition of civil society and media organisations, including Unwanted Witness Uganda, the African Centre for Media Excellence, the Editors’ Guild of Uganda, and individual journalists and activists such as Agather Atuhaire and former opposition leader Winnie Kiiza. They challenged the Attorney General over the law’s impact on freedom of expression, access to information, and civic space.

Eagle Online couldn’t get a comment from Ms. Atuhaire as her phone number was off

The Computer Misuse Act was originally enacted in 2011 to criminalise cyber offences, including unauthorised access to computer systems, electronic fraud, and cyber harassment. 

In 2022, Parliament passed an amendment broadening the law to criminalise the sending or sharing of malicious, false, or unsolicited information online, misuse of social media under a false identity, and unauthorised sharing of information about children.

The petitioners argued that several provisions, particularly those introduced in 2022, were vague, overly broad, and could criminalise ordinary online expression, investigative journalism, and legitimate civic engagement. They maintained that the law infringed on Article 29 of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression.

The government, represented by the Attorney General, defended the law, saying the measures were necessary to protect public order, national security, and citizens from cybercrime. They argued that the law provided legal tools to tackle online offences in an increasingly digital society.

In its ruling, the Constitutional Court sided with the petitioners, noting that the law’s provisions failed to meet constitutional standards for clarity, proportionality, and protection of fundamental freedoms.

The judgement effectively invalidates the legal basis for prosecutions under the challenged sections.

Civil society actors hailed the ruling as a victory for digital rights, saying it protects journalists, activists and ordinary citizens from arbitrary criminalisation online.

The decision may prompt Parliament to revise the law to balance the regulation of online conduct with constitutional protections.

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