Rwanda National Police

Rwanda National Police (RNP) calls upon parents and guardians, especially those residing near water bodies like lakes and streams, to watch over their children and protect them against drowning.

 Lakes and other water bodies pose a serious danger to children and RNP is appealing to parents and guardians to keep an eye and ensure that their children do not play around them or send them to fetch water at night.

 Superintendent Alphonse Businge, the Commanding Officer of Marine  at RNP, said that drowning cases are especially reported in rural communities and are due to negligence of their parents not caring where their children are playing.

 "Children in rural areas tend to drown in ponds, lakes or rivers because they are tempted to go fishing or swimming without elders watching. And such children risk drowning," he said.

 "Some parents and guardians don't mind about the safety of their children and they send them to fetch water in these water bodies even at night putting their lives at risk."

 Statistics from police indicate that over the last month,  nine people drowned in water bodies, some of who were children.

 This indicates that children need total attention,  parents near water bodies should have it mind and take precautions.

 "Children need constant parental attention. They should not be abandoned or allowed to play in and around water bodies. This is the responsibility of parents," Superintendent Businge said.

 He reminded communities which surround water bodies to intervene whenever their is an accident by calling police in timely fashion.

 He also urged them to wear protective gear like life jackets whenever they are on boats and also discouraged the habit of fishing at night which increases the risk of water accidents and drowning.