This year has been a Rollercoaster - with both highs and lows in the making. As we look back at 2022, we make sense of the many lives that have been lost over the months!
The big question that remains is - what claimed most of the lives this year? This reporter looks at some of these, take a Look.....
FIRES
Infernos and fire cases were key in lives lost this year. Notable to note were 11 pupils that perished in a dormitory at Salama School of the Blind in Mukono District aswell other another family of 5 whose lives were claimed by fire in Yoka Zone, Bukasa Parish, Makindye Division.
ACCIDENTS
Just like the previous years, many deaths this year resulted from accidents from road crushes. Police released CCTV footage of boda boda accidents in Kampala and its suburbs and most where as a result of careless driving. The 2021 Uganda Police annual crime and Traffic report indicated that there was a 42 - percent increase in the number of road crashes from 12,249 in 2020 to 17,443 in 2021. Of these, more than 3000 crashes were fatal.
FLOODS
Deadly floods Resulting from heavy rains, floods reportedly claimed lives of atleast 31 people- 29 from Mbale City and two in Bundibugyo District, according to a DailyMonitor report on September 7. In my Mbale, the floods were triggered after several rivers such as Nabuyonga, Namatala, Nashibisho and Napwoli burst their banks.
CRIME
Due to the ever increasing crime rate, some lives are claimed. The cases are mostly a result of murder, mob action,, suicide and Domestic Violence among others. In a sample space of between April 15 to April 18, Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga said they registered 51 major criminal cases in which 40 lives were lost only during the Easter festive season.
"10 people died due to murder, 7 in mob action, 5 commuted suciede, 4 in domestic violence , 3 shot dead" Enanga said of crime reports from only the Easter Weekend earlier this year.
SUCIEDES
This year, many young people took their lives by hanging. More than 20 cases involving school going children have been recorded in the 2022 academic year. The surge in mental health issues academic stress and the Covid-19 lockdown effects are some of the reasons cited for the above development.
PANDEMIC AND EPIDEMICS - ( Ebola and Covid )
Although infections dropped drastically, COVID-19 still claimed some lives in the early days of 2022. From 3294 deaths as of December 31 2021 - December 20, 2022 3630.
The other killer in 2022 was Ebola. President Museveni declared Uganda Ebola free on December 20, three months after the deadly virus hit the country. This years Ebola Outbreak claimed 56 lives.
Other killers included killer illnesses like Cancers, Blood Pressures among many others. To the ones we lost, may their souls rest in Eternal Peace!
