Editor,

I read with sadness a story in yesterday’s issue of The New Times, concerning a young man who drowned at the La Palisse Nyandugu swimming pool.

This happened just a few months after the news of a body of a 14 year old found in the swimming pool at Umubano Hotel. Such incidents raise some serious concern.

We are all aware that as the number of hotels and recreational centres with swimming pools have multiplied over the years, swimming has gradually become a pastime, unlike before when swimming was considered a luxury for a few.

However, some hotels have substandard swimming pools with limited security levels and life guards to attend to swimmers. Thus, the recent events should act as lessons for us all.

Kigali City Council should ensure that all hotels with swimming pools meet certain basic standards besides putting in place high levels of security and emergency services in case of similar incidents.

We cannot continue to lose lives when such occurrences are preventable.

My condolences to the family of the deceased
Immaculate Munyana
Kimironko