Uganda Safari News

By Nakiboneka Halimah

Uganda Safaris and Travel Guide News
Kampala Uganda

The transport costs from Entebbe to Kalangala Islands have doubled after Uganda’s only active vessel on Lake Victoria, MV Kalangala, temporarily suspended operations to pave way for its inspection. The vessel’s insurance had expired creating fear among users about their safety.

International Marine Surveyors from South Africa were contracted by the government to carry out the inspection. Fares from Nakiwogo Landing Site to Lutoboka in Ssese Islands where recreational and relaxation sites are found have increased from Shs12, 000 to Shs25, 000 on a speedboat and transport from Kasenyi water ways to Kalangala on a ‘normal’ boat costs between Shs18, 000 to Shs25, 000 up from Shs10, 000.

Tourists to Ssese Island beaches now find it very hard to travel with their vehicles as it was before.” We can’t travel with our vehicles to the island or carry much load yet we are paying twice more money than we used to pay on the ship,” Mr. Umaru Malume, a tourist found at Nakiwogo landing site, said on Friday.

Businessmen who carry bulky materials from Kampala to Ssese can now only use the ferry at Bukakata Landing Site in Masaka which is about 100 miles from Kampala.

The ferry also has its inconsistencies -it sometimes takes long to dock at the landing site or even have irregular trips between the two landing sites. Ssese Islands is a popular tourist destination because of its good camping sites while Kalangala is one of the biggest business hubs on the lake. State Minister for Transport Simon Ejua recently revealed that the inspection would take two weeks and the vessel will be functioning by the start of September.

Every year, the vessel undergoes inspection to ascertain its operational safety status. A source in the Works Ministry, who preferred anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to the press, said registration of the vessel is likely to cost the tax payer $3,467 (about Shs7.3m) while docking  will take $7,980(about Shs16.5m). The vessel was built in 2005 in fulfillment of President Museveni’s 2001 campaign pledge to the islanders.