Mother, 22, drowns while washing clothes in Zombo stream.

Zombo, Uganda: A sombre mood engulfed Padea Town Council in Zombo District over the weekend following the tragic drowning of 22-year-old Scovia Dwong Paa Mungu, who lost her life in Leda Stream on Sunday morning.

The incident occurred on October 26, 2025, in Limu Cell, Ndindu Ward, when Dwong, a married woman and mother of one, reportedly slipped while washing clothes at the stream and was swept away by the fast-moving waters.

Dick Thumi, the LCI Chairperson of Limu Cell, confirmed the incident in a phone interview, saying the deceased struck her head on a rock before being pulled under.

“Scovia was found lifeless in Leda Stream around 8 a.m. She had gone to wash clothes with her child when she slipped, hit her head on a rock, and was swept away,” Thumi said. “Her three-year-old child, unable to wake her, ran home to alert others. We rushed to the scene, but she had already been claimed by the waters.”

Melki Onyutha Orwothuwun, the LCIII Chairperson of Padea Town Council, described the tragedy as “a devastating loss” and extended condolences to the bereaved family.

“We notified the police, who immediately began investigations at the scene. The body was later carried to her ancestral home,” Onyutha said.

The deceased’s body was handed over to relatives at Padea Jumu Cama, near the border of Padea Town Council, for burial.

Police have yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

Drowning remains a recurring hazard in Uganda. According to the Uganda Police Force Annual Crime Report (2024), 119 drowning cases were recorded that year, a drop from 138 in 2023, representing 62% of all water-related deaths.

However, a Makerere University School of Public Health report (2024) estimates that more than 3,000 people drown annually, averaging nine deaths daily.