Marine maps, laws outdated
May 25, 2005
The Uganda Marines depends on obsolete laws and navigation maps made in 1900, Parliament heard yesterday.
By Mariam Nalunkuuma
The Uganda Marines depends on obsolete laws and navigation maps made in 1900, Parliament heard yesterday.
Joseph Katuramu, the commandant of the Uganda Police Marine, said the navigations maps and charts used were updated in 1954.
“The level of water on Lake Victoria changes because of silting and this affects navigation. The inland water act does not empower us to exhaustively respond to accidents on our waters,†Katuramu said.
He was appearing before the works parliamentary committee probing the cause of the recent collision of MV Kaawa and Kabalega on Lake Victoria.
Katuramu said, “We have been involved in policing water but there is no explicit law for us to enforce safety standards and the capacity to manage marine on water is very limited.â€
He said there were no personnel and communication gadgets in the marine department.
The deputy commandant of the Marine Police, Peter Okoshi, said the department has 120 officers on all lakes and only four divers who are still undergoing training and can dive 10-15 metres deep.
The Uganda Marines depends on obsolete laws and navigation maps made in 1900, Parliament heard yesterday.
Joseph Katuramu, the commandant of the Uganda Police Marine, said the navigations maps and charts used were updated in 1954.
“The level of water on Lake Victoria changes because of silting and this affects navigation. The inland water act does not empower us to exhaustively respond to accidents on our waters,†Katuramu said.
He was appearing before the works parliamentary committee probing the cause of the recent collision of MV Kaawa and Kabalega on Lake Victoria.
Katuramu said, “We have been involved in policing water but there is no explicit law for us to enforce safety standards and the capacity to manage marine on water is very limited.â€
He said there were no personnel and communication gadgets in the marine department.
The deputy commandant of the Marine Police, Peter Okoshi, said the department has 120 officers on all lakes and only four divers who are still undergoing training and can dive 10-15 metres deep.