New Buvuma ferry excites residents

Residents of Buikwe and Buvuma districts could not hide their excitement following the Government launching of the new MV Buvuma ferry.

Clement Kate, a resident of Maggyo village in Nairambi sub-county, said the ferry was promised by President Yoweri Museveni 15 years ago.

"We had given up on that promise. But we are so happy to received it now. We promise to reward President Museveni in the 2021 elections for fulfilling his promise," he said.

The Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) executive director, Allen Kagina, said MV Buvuma replaces MV Kiyindi which is smaller and in dangerous mechanical condition.

Kagina said the new ferry has a passenger capacity of 300 compared to the old one which carried only 120. The new one carries 12 vehicles compared to six which the old one would manage.

"MV Buvuma is faster, it has been tested to takes approximately four minutes to sail from Kiyindi to Buvuma whereas the old one takes one hour," she said.

Kagina said the new ferry is equipped with adequate safety features, including life jackets, buoyants, a rescue boat, a robust firefighting system, a motorised anchor for easy anchoring of the ferry in case of any emergency, washrooms among others.

She said that the Government has fully equipped its staff with RESIDENTSskills not only to maintain but also to construct ferries.

"I am sure in three years' time, Uganda will start building its own ferries internally. Such in-house services help us to reduce the production cost by half. If we were able to currently build five ferries in five years, when we are doing it internally, we will be producing 10," she said.

The lunch was partially conducted at Kiyindi landing site in Buikwe district where the Minister for Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, cut the tape and allowed the limited people aboard the ferry to Kirongo landing site in Buvuma, where the main function was conducted.

The function was graced by Buvuma district MPs, Robert Migadde Ndugwa and Jennifer Nantume Egunyu, Resident District Commissioners Agnes Nabirye for Buvuma and Jane Frances Kagayi of Buikwe.

Others were, chairperson board of directors UNRA Jachan Omach, district chairpersons, Alex Mabiriizi for Buvuma and Mathias Kigongo for Buikwe, the permanent secretary Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Pius Wakabi among others.

MPs Migadde and Nantume thanked the Government for having made it possible to put in place a decent transport means connecting Buvuma to the mainland, saying due to inappropriate transport means, Buvuma has lagged behind for so long in terms of development.

Migadde said Buvuma is made up of 52 islands , thus the need for other means to connect to those other islands.

Nantume said many business partners have been hindered by inadequate transport to reach Buvuma for business, something which is now fully sorted.

The leaders asked the ministry to consider tarmacking Lugazi-Kiyindi road in Buikwe district and Kirongo-Kkulwe road in Buvuma district.

Katumba in response said that it has already been in plan to have Lugazi-Kiyindi read tarmacked. He however asked Kagina to consider adding the 40km Kirongo-Kkulwe road in Buvuma so that it is done at once.

He promised to work on the request of the leaders to retain the old ferry after repair and connect Buvuma to Mayuge district.

Katumba, however, asked the Buvuma locals and leaders to be patient, saying through the Vegetable Oil Development Project under MAAIF, the government is also constructing another bigger ferry at Mwanza port which will be ready by June next year also to ply Kiyindi-Buvuma route.

Omach said within three years, the Government will add more five ferries. he said: "Two for Bukungu-Kagwera-Kaberamaido connecting the districts of Buyende, Kaberamido and Serere, one additional for Kiyindi-Buvuma and two ferries for Lake bunyonyi."