The MV Kyoga 2, which travels the Zengebe-Namasale route, has its services back, according to the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA). It’s one of the two ferries that were recently suspended on Lake Kyoga.
On Tuesday, July 30, 2024, UNRA said, “MV Kyoga 2 will resume full-scale operations tomorrow, July 31, 2024, following successful sea trials”: “This development now allows us to focus on the maintenance of MV Kyoga 1.”
The two ferries were withdrawn by UNRA on July 22 due to technical issues that necessitated their being taken out of service for repairs in order to ensure safe operations.
Travel in the districts of Nakasongola, Amolatar, and nearby areas like Kaberamaido and Dokolo was halted by this.
Passengers had been advised to use the more costly road route via Kampala, Mbale, Soroti, Dokolo, and Almatar during that time.
In an effort to lessen transportation issues on the islands and across the nation’s numerous bodies of water, UNRA runs more than ten ferries.
Nonetheless, a new government study pointed out that additional ships are required to fill transportation gaps, particularly in island regions.
For instance, according to the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) study titled Annual study on State of the 2021/2022 Equal Opportunities in Uganda, only three of the seven island districts on Lake Victoria have access to ferry services.
It was observed that thousands of individuals in the impacted districts, including Mukono, Rakai, Mayuge, and Wakiso, were experiencing a lower quality of life as a result of this, as it was impacting their access to social services including healthcare and education.
During the British colonial era, in 1900, the first ferry on Lake Victoria operated from the port of Kisumu. Later, motor ships took the place of the original steamboats, some of which are still in use on the lake today.
