Winds blow travellers off Kalangala route

A number of passengers using boats in Kalangala District has drastically reduced due to strong winds currently blowing on Lake Victoria.

Water transport on the lake is usually risky between June and August as a result of strong winds and turbulent waves.

The Uganda National Meteorological Authority (UNMA) has already advised operators of small boats to be extra cautious while sailing on the lake during this period.

According to Mr Edrisa Ssemanda, a boat operator plying the Kasenyi - Kalangala route, the number of passengers using their boats has reduced to seven from 20 daily in the past week.

“We used to get between 15 and 20 passengers daily on a single trip, however, we now get around only five to seven passengers with less cargo,” he said during an interview on Wednesday.

Boats tied up

He revealed that several boat operators have tied up their boats for fear of being hit by strong waves.

“Eight  fishing  boats and two passenger boats were hit by waves while approaching Kasenyi Landing Site near Entebbe  last week and are currently being repaired, good enough, no one drowned or was injured, “ Mr Ssemanda said.

Boats at Kasenyi Landing Site that used to set off at noon have adjusted their departure to between 5pm and 7pm. During this time, waves on the lake reduce.

Due to strong waves on the lake, pupils from Kagoonya Landing Site in Bunyama Parish who attend school on Buggala Island are staying at home.

Mr Nelson Ndyehawo, who owns a boat hired to transport pupils to school daily, said parents have decided to keep their children at home for safety reasons.

“Parents no longer want to hire me to transport their kids to school, they are saying we wait until the situation stabilises,” he said.

Risks

Mr Sirajje Mawanda, the spokesperson for the Association of Fishermen and Lake Users (AFALU), said the strong waves on the lake have greatly affected their normal operations.

“Those who risk and enter the lake, they hardly get fish. Sometimes their fishing nets get sank in the lake while others get torn,” he said.

Fishermen now cast their nets around 5pm and only go back the following morning between 6am and 7am to retrieve them.

In their advisory last weekend, UNMA revealed that strong winds were blowing between 3am and 4pm.