By Mubiru Ivan
Vivian Nakanjako* has not slept well since Saturday when she heard news that a boat had capsized in Lake Victoria. Earlier in the day, the Makerere University Business School student had received a call from her course mate inviting her for an ‘all expenses paid’ boat cruise.
“She told me to get ready within 30 minutes because she, together with her ‘sponsor’ and two other girls were coming to pick me at the hostel,” Nakanjako relates from her hostel room. “She asked me to get the sexiest lingerie I had, and if possible pack a pair of condoms because we were going to ‘meet very rich men we might entertain.’
Before she could say yes however, Nakanjako’s mother called and said she expected her home for lunch since it was a weekend.
“And that is how I survived. I would be dead,” she say.
Nakanjako says she has not seen or read her friend’s name among the 35 dead persons or among the 27 survivors.
Now she is hoping against hope that she is alive somewhere; four days after the ill-fated MV Templar capsized on Saturday with 120 passengers on board in Mpatta Sub-County, Mukono District on its way from KK Beach to KPalm resort.
The tragedy was attributed to overloading.
“The boat’s standard capacity is 50 passengers. However, 120 people are said to have boarded this boat,” UPDF Deputy Spokesperson Lt. Col Deo Akiiki told Watchdog Uganda on Sunday.
The boat cruise was organised by prominent businessman Templar Bisase and his wife Sheila.
Both perished in the accident.
Videos and photos that circulated on the fateful day showed the passengers, mainly young women drinking alcohol and dancing aboard the blue ‘canoe-like’ boat.
And that, according to survivors, could be the reason why the boat could have sunk – partiers are said to have been highly intoxicated and could be seen coupled up.
An orgy gone wrong?
An orgy, according to the Collins dictionary is a ‘wild gathering marked by promiscuous sexual activity, excessive drinking, etc’. It is also described as ‘a party in which people behave in a very uncontrolled way, especially one involving sexual activity.’
In Uganda and world over, boat cruises have become a haven for entertainment, indiscriminate sexual activities and boozing – orgies.
Out of the 100 plus MV Templar passengers, over two thirds were women, according to survivors.
Daily Monitor quotes Zurah Ganyana, the spokesperson of the Rescue and Recovery Operation, as saying the police recovered at least 30 rucksacks and handbags from the accident site on Wednesday.
These, she said will help relatives and friends identify missing victims.
“Inside the ladies’ bags were mainly make-up kits, unused male condoms and spare clothes,” Ganyana says.
Another local publication, Bukedde claims university students (slay queens) were paid to erotically entertain the rich guys during the cruise.
According to Nakanjako, although she was not sure which girls her now missing course mate was with, or the sponsor partying, especially with the opposite sex, was ‘her thing.’
“I cannot tell what she was doing since I was not there but from what I know about her, I am sure she was having the time of her life,” Nakanjako says.
Another survivor said many passengers huddled up in groups of four. Chances are there were about three girls to one man.
“And even when there were calls to try and ‘balance’ the boat because it had started sinking, most hardly adhered because they were busy enjoying each other’s company,” the survivor told Watchdog.
Experience
“A few years ago, one of the corporate companies around town organised a boat cruise to one of the islands. This was always their end of year culture, organize parties for their partners and media personalities.
This time around though, they decided on a boat cruise. We were very excites. We never knew what to expect. All we could do was count each and every passing day.
We set off from Port Bell. About 100 of us, mostly strangers. The girls, who seemed to have done a bit of research showed up in the skimpiest outfits. Those of us in jeans felt lost. But we were ready to have fun.
The organisers had stocked coolers with all sorts of drinks. There was also chef roasting meat. We started drinking straight away and sang along to the music blaring off the loud speaker.
Midway the two-hour journey, passengers that barely knew each other were chatting. The girls with the skimpy dresses were the ones men were mostly interested in talking to.
The first timers like me, sulkily watched on.
‘Couples’ then started disappearing into the lounge area of the boat. At the beach, the trend continued. Some of the unlucky girls found love from the other strangers we met at the beach. And vice versa. It was surreal.
On the journey back, I think people had lost it. Due to the amount of alcohol taken, they openly cuddled, kissed and had sex. I couldn’t wait to get back to Port Bell and back home. But that was the last cruise I have ever been to.
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