MV Bukoba 21-May 21, 1996

TRC Marine Division's Ships manifest for MV Bukoba's final voyage showed 443 passengers in 1st-2nd class cabins, but cheaper third class accommodation had no manifest. Abu Ubaidah al-Banshiri, who was then second in command of Al Qaeda, died in the disaster.

The routine journey from Bukoba to Mwanza via Kemondo Bay capsized and sunk in Lake Victoria some eight kilometres away from the city of Mwanza, killing an estimated 1,000 passengers.

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.

Possible causes were identified by Captain Joseph Muguthi, formerly of the Kenya Navy, and writing in the pages of the Daily Nation as a marine navigation consultant. He labeled it an accident waiting to happen, as Lake Victoria ferries disregarded safety regulations. Specifically:

lack of life jackets, life belts, and lifeboats;

lack of fire fighting equipment;

lack of distress signals;

what equipment there is, is not regularly checked;

the vessels are not regularly dry docked for routine maintenance and repairs;

the vessels are not regularly inspected;

the coxswains (Navigator) are not licensed to navigate.

The incident was blamed on the 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.

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January 19, 1996 - Gurita, Sinks, Gurita Ferry

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