Mandatory life jackets, night travel restrictions take effect for Ugandan boats
Transport state minister Julius Maganda said the measures were issued in compliance with the Inland Water Transport Act, 2021, and relevant international legal requirements to which Uganda is a member and is obliged to implement.
0The government issued the guidelines on August 20, 2026, covering seafarers, boat owners and operators, passengers and the general public. (File photo
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Passengers on Uganda's waterways will now be required to wear life jackets, while boats powered by outboard engines will be barred from sailing at night under new marine safety guidelines aimed at preventing accidents and saving lives.
The government issued the guidelines on August 20, 2026, covering seafarers, boat owners and operators, passengers and the general public.
Transport state minister Julius Maganda said the measures were issued in compliance with the Inland Water Transport Act, 2021, and relevant international legal requirements to which Uganda is a member and is obliged to implement.
“During the months of July, August, September to October, our inland waterways experience strong Easterly Monsoon winds and turbulent waves which explain the increased incidences of accidents within this period,” Maganda said.
Under the Marine Notice, all boat owners/operators must provide sufficient Life-Saving Appliances (LSA)/jackets on board boats at all times while navigating on water. For all vessels, the life jackets should be placed in accessible locations on board. A vessel owner/operator who does not provide LSA/Life Jackets on board a boat while on voyage will be prosecuted in courts of law. All passengers/persons moving on boats powered by outboard engines are required to wear life jackets from the time of departure and during the entire voyage.
The notice also provided that any passenger/person who fails to wear a life jacket shall be prosecuted in the courts of law. Any boats that are not registered and licensed by the Ministry of Works and Transport found operating within the inland waterways will be impounded, and owners prosecuted in accordance with the applicable laws.
Sailing of all boats with outboard engines is restricted to operating between 6:30 am and 6:30 pm. Any such boats found sailing at night shall be detained and operators prosecuted. Overloading of boats is strictly prohibited.
Safety of inland water transport in Uganda is regulated under the Inland Water Transport Act 2021, the Lake Victoria Transport Act 2007 and the International Maritime Conventions to which Uganda acceded.
Dirisa Walusimbi, local council (LC1) chairperson and head of the beach management unit (BMU) at Ggaba Landing Site, welcomed the decision by the Ministry of Works and Transport to regulate the water sector.
He, however, urged the Ministry to ensure the life jackets are made affordable.
“Most vessel owners cannot afford the life jackets. My appeal is to the Ministry to ensure their prices are subsidised and that enough sensitisation on the use of the life jacket must be carried out. There are those who can afford the life jackets, but they also don’t know the correct weight capacity and that it needs to be buckled tightly to work effectively,” Walusimbi said.
Bernard Mwebe, the local council 1 (LC1) chairperson for the Kiyindi landing site in Buikwe district, however, asked the Government to conduct a fresh navigation survey of all the lakes in the country to aid the production of a new navigation chart with well-mapped and marked danger spots to be avoided by sailors.
“It's true the June and August seasons are dangerous. But the government should also clearly map out the safe routes for the sailors,” Mwebe stated.