How Uganda, Kenya will benefit from newly-unveiled ferry
Residents of Lugala Landing Site gather around the 90-seater MV Malcom which was launched on Saturday to offer water transport services to the islands of Bukhooli, the Namayingo District mainland and Port Victoria in Kenya. PHOTO/DAVID AWORI
What you need to know:
- According to him, there will most likely be an increase in commercial activities on the lake which will translate into more revenue for the government.
- The latest development in Namayingo District comes after MV Sigulu ferry was in July 2019 launched to improve service delivery in the area.
A ferry linking the main land areas of Namayingo and Bukhooli to Western Kenya has been launched.
The 90-seater MV Malcom, which was launched on Saturday, is to operate from Lugala-Busiro Landing Sites in Banda Sub-county, to Matolo in Bukhooli Islands, all in Namayingo District, and connect to Port Victoria in Western Kenya.
It is owned by Globology, a Kenya-based company that operates water transport services on Lake Victoria with majority vessels in Kenya.
Vessel Capt Dennis Sanyu said the ferry will ply four routes between Uganda and Kenya every day, will be stationed at Lugala and will navigate from Lugala Landing Site to Busiro in Banda Sub-county and Matolo in Sigulu, Bukhooli Islands, and to Port Victoria in Western Kenya.
According to Capt Sanyu, the ferry has been tested, found to be safe and fitted with other security measures to ensure safety.
Residents and leaders in both Uganda and Kenya are now optimistic that the ferry will open up Western Kenya and Eastern Uganda in terms of transport and trade.
The Namayingo South Member of Parliament, Mr Michael Odwori, said the development aims at making water transport on Lake Victoria between Uganda and Kenya safe, adding that the ferry is an upgrade from small and unsafe canoes which have been prone to accidents.
“We have witnessed several incidents of boat capsizing and claiming lives of the people. People in this area now have safer means of transport,” Mr Odwori said on Monday.
His Bukhooli Islands counterpart, Mr Peter Okeyoh, said the launch of ferry services will help further the East African Integration process through easy movement of people and goods between Uganda and Kenya.
He added: “In the past, we have used very unsafe wooden boats to sail between Uganda and Kenya, but with this ferry, we hope to witness more movement and trade between both countries.”
Busia-Kenya County Governor, Mr Paul Nyongesa Otuoma, reiterated the importance of Uganda and Kenya in terms of trade, saying the two neighbours are “great trading partners” and thinks the ferry services will increase the volumes of the people on the islands with Western Kenya.
“We are setting up industrial hubs in Busia-Kenya and the launch of this ferry will boost production and trade,” said Mr Otuoma.
Budalangi Member of Parliament, Raphael Wanjala, is counting on the ferry to increase cultural and trade ties between Uganda and Kenya.
“We have Samia in Uganda and Kenya, and the same applies to the Banyala. I, therefore, think the ferry will help border communities to freely interact,” Mr Wanjala said.
He, however, warns security personnel manning the borders against harassing the locals as they travel across either country, saying the perpetrators, especially in Kenya, risk being transferred to the Kenya-Somalia border.
Namayingo District Woman MP, Margaret Makokha, says the ferry will benefit the women most, especially those who do cross-border trade across the lake have endured challenges, exposure to drowning while traveling by canoes.
The Commissioner Maritime Services in the Ministry of Works and Transport, Mr Robert Ntambi, said the intervention will result in increased investment and collaboration among stakeholders and increased investment in water transport by the private sector, which will further bring about increased trade, tourism and employment.
According to him, there will most likely be an increase in commercial activities on the lake which will translate into more revenue for the government.
The latest development in Namayingo District comes after MV Sigulu ferry was in July 2019 launched to improve service delivery in the area.
Local leaders at the time observed that social services had stalled in the islands as a number of government employees declined deployment to Sigulu and Dolwe islands due to the poor transport network.
MV Sigulu, constructed by a Danish firm JGH Marine, has capacity to carry 300 passengers, close to 20 vehicles, and has a speed of 14 knots per hour. It connects Namayingo District to the islands of Sigulu and Dolwe.
