The body of Eng. Gershom Rwakasanga,Operations Manager at the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) Jinja Storage Terminal, has been recovered from the River Nile at Busowoko Falls following a tragic drowning incident on Saturday, October 11.
Eng. Gershom Rwakasanga, who served as Manager, Terminals Development and Operations at UNOC’s Jinja Storage Terminal, accidentally fell into the river on Friday, October 11, while at Busowoko Falls in Jinja District
Eng. Gershom Rwakasanga, who served as Manager, Terminals Development and Operations at UNOC’s Jinja Storage Terminal, accidentally fell into the river on Friday, October 11, while at Busowoko Falls in Jinja District.
Jinja, Uganda — The body of an engineer with the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) who fell into the River Nile at Busowoko Falls has been recovered, bringing a tragic end to a days-long search effort.
Eng. Gershom Rwakasanga, who served as Manager, Terminals Development and Operations at UNOC’s Jinja Storage Terminal, accidentally fell into the river on Friday, October 11, while at Busowoko Falls in Jinja District.
According to Abdullah Suuta, the resort’s General Manager, Rwakasanga arrived at the beach around 5:30 p.m. with his daughter for an outing.
They hired three tour guides and took photos along the falls. Moments later, Rwakasanga moved to the water massage point, a deep and slippery area between sharp rocks.
Suuta says Rwakasanga likely slipped and fell into the water. He suspects the deceased may have hit his head on the rocks and became unconscious.
His body got trapped in the rocks, frustrating early rescue efforts.
Following the incident, UNOC, in collaboration with the Uganda Police Marine Unit, emergency responders, and members of the local community, launched an intensive search and rescue operation that continued over the weekend. Kiira Regional Police Spokesperson, James Mubi, says their marine team resumed the search on Sunday morning with local divers. They recovered the body around 12:30 p.m., trapped between rocks.
In a statement released by the company on October 12, 2025, UNOC confirmed the recovery of Eng. Rwakasanga’s body from the River Nile and expressed deep sorrow over the loss.
“It is with deep sorrow that we inform the public that the body of our colleague, Eng. Gershom Rwakasanga, Manager Terminals Development & Operations at the Jinja Storage Terminal, has been recovered from the River Nile following the tragic incident at Busowoko Falls,” the statement read in part.
UNOC extended heartfelt condolences to the engineer’s family, friends, and colleagues, describing him as a dedicated professional who made significant contributions to the company and the country’s oil and gas sector.
“Our collective thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this tragic loss,” the company added, noting that details about funeral and memorial arrangements will be communicated later.
The discovery brings closure to a sorrowful episode that has gripped the UNOC community and residents of Jinja over the past several days.
