Another Foreigner Collapses and Dies on Tour in Uganda

Only a week after a British tourist collapsed and died suddenly in Kabale, Southwestern Uganda, another forigner has died while on tour in Kanungu district.

Police reported that a French born diplomat who has been working with the French embassy in Nairobi, Kenya died on Saturday after tracking mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable forest.

The deceased has been identified as Tujin Jean Pierre aged 63.

According to the Police Spokesperson for Kigezi region, Elly Matte, Pierre was in company of six other diplomats of French nationality who had visited Mahogany lodge in Bwindi impenetrable forest in Kayonza sub-county and were on their way from tracking gorillas. The deceased died at around 11 am in the morning.

The case was reported by one of his colleagues identified as Posi Christine, 59.

Pierre’s body was Saturday transported to Kampala city mortuary at Mulago hospital for postmortem so as to establish the cause of death.

According to Matte, Pierre’s colleagues suspect that his death was related to an “illness” that he has previously suffered.

“It is alleged that on their way from tracking gorillas, their colleague just collapsed and died on the spot. We tried to talk to them [colleagues] and they said he had a record of illness that he had earlier, and they suspect that it was the cause,” Matte said in a statement.

Matte advised tourists to always disclose their health status in order to avoid such incidents.

In recent months, there has been a pattern of unclear deaths of foreign tourists in the different locations in Uganda. Pierre is the third foreigner to die while on tour in Uganda.

On April 7, Mukesh Shukla, a 60-year-old British collapsed and died while touring the Batwa community area in Butanda sub county, Kabale district.

He, together with three other colleagues; Tejal Raval, Nishma Raval and Kalvinder Barad had taken a trek to explore the Batwa ecotourism experience when his colleagues noticed he had collapsed.

Two months ago, an American tourist was found dead in his room at Bwana Tembo Safari camp lodge in Murchison Falls national park.

61-year-old Montie Guy Watson, a resident of Texas was found dead in his guest room at Bwana Tembo Safari camp lodge in Nwoya district on February 17.

However, authorities including the tourism related agencies have not come out to provide a substantive report on investigations into the causes of these deaths. Experts say this uncertainty is likely to have a negative impact on Uganda’s vibrant and lucrative tourism especially by cutting tourist arrivals, given that tourism is a sector highly influenced by perceptions and travel advisories.