The Minister of Transport and Works, Gen Katumba Wamala, has said that MV Rafiki, a new vessel on Lake Victoria, is set to boost transport between the Entebbe mainland and Kalangala islands.
‘It marks one of the government’s commitments to the people of Kyamuswa to provide reliable and safe transport. This has taken a while because when we had planned to have this done, we were struck by Covid, which gave us a setback,’ he said.
Minister Katumba said the government decided to work with the private sector to put in place safe transportation in the meantime, since the government vessel planned for Kyamuswa County was not yet ready.
‘The vessel which the government is planning to construct for them is not ready, yet the people need the transport services. We decided to work with a private operator of MV Nodl, to vary our contract which we have with him, on running MV Kalangala to include trips to Kyamuswa,’ he said on Tuesday at Bukasa during the launch of MV Rafiki that will ply the Entebbe – Bukasa Island, Kyamuswa County, Kalangala District route twice a week.
Mr Katumba said the government is set to construct several landing sites on the islands as it works towards attracting more private vessel operators and also improving inland transport on the islands.
‘Water transport is still a virgin area, and while the government would like to put in place these kinds of vessels, it may not be able to meet the big demand. So, we are opening up to private operators so long as their vessels meet the standards to come and operate in the islands,’ he explained.
According to him, the islands are big and have a lot of inland transport needs.
‘Every district has a road unit, and Kalangala is not any different. It has a road unit. Islands like Bukasa, Bubeke, Butobo, Buyovu didn’t have means of transport and landing sites, and therefore, the equipment stayed only in Bugala….With this kind of landing sites, which are being constructed, now the equipment can be brought and work on the islands.’
The minister noted that the vessel will promote the growing of palm oil on Bukasa Island to enhance the development of the island.
The CEO of National Oil Distributors Limited (NODL), Hajj Sadala Musoke, said MV Rafiki will serve as a vital link between the mainland and the islands of Kalangala District in Bugala (Lutoboka) and Bukasa (Kiwungu), promoting trade, tourism, and social connection.
‘We are also looking ahead to the completion of phase one, the construction of the new landing piers. In phase two, we shall build modern passenger waiting shelters to enhance comfort and safety and residential housing for our employees in phase three,’ he said.
Mr Sadala added, ‘in Phase four, we intend to develop hotel and tourism facilities, to boost travel, leisure, and investment on the Bukasa Island-contributing to the growth of Uganda’s blue economy’.
Kalangala District Woman MP, Ms Hellen Nakimuli, said the arrival of MV Rafiki will end a three-decade wait by the Kyamuswa county residents since the government took MV Babasi for repair.
‘We have spent 29 years without a ferry in Kyamuswa; we have been demanding it for a long time. It’s not the type we would want as residents of Kyamuswa; we need a ferry that also transports vehicles to help interconnectivity and development in the 84 islands of Kalangala,’ she said.
Kyamuswa County MP, Mr Moses Kabuusu, said the vessel is set to boost business development on Bukasa Island.