Dorothy Nakawesi
10 March 2008
Kampala — AT a time when Uganda is grappling with finding alternative and cheaper transport routes for its cargo, the first privately owned water transport cargo services on Lake Victoria has been launched.
The Kamanga Ferry Ltd was officially flagged off on March 7 with its first cargo belonging to coffee processor Ugacof being transported to the port of Mwanza in Tanzania. Speaking at the function at Port Bell, a Kampala suburb, acting Executive Director of the Uganda Investment Authority Joel Byaruhanga, urged the business community in Uganda to utilise the new transport facility.
"This is a good start, cheap and safe transport alternative the business community should utilise," he said. The development is timely coming just the country experienced one of its worse transport nightmares between the port of Mombasa at the coast and Kampala.
Post election violence in neighbouring Kenya last month cut off Uganda from access to the rest of the world by sea and caused unprecedented increases in the cost of transport, shortage of petroleum products and imported goods and materials.
Also, Lake Victoria has not had any vessels since the an accident three years ago that claimed the only two vessels - MV Pamba and MV Kawa - that operated across the lake into Tanzania and western Kenya.
KFL has lined up a fleet of three ships with a capacity of 270 tonnes ready to help in the transportation of export and import cargo via Lake Victoria. "We are starting with one shipment every week. If more clients show interest we are ready to handle the demand when it comes," KFL Managing Director Brigitte Gaetje-Defloor told the Daily Monitor.
Kamanga Ferry Ltd, Tanzania-based investment company will commence its operations of transporting cargo via Lake Victoria to the different ports in Uganda setting off.
Coming of KFL has answered prayers of many business people who have experienced delays in delivering their exports to the respective markets. It will also offer an alternative to the northern corridor route of Mombasa and use the southern route via Mwanza to the port of Dar es Salaam.
The Chairman Uganda Manufacturers Association, Mr James Kalibala in an interview with Daily Monitor said transporting a 20 feet container by road from Kampala to Mombasa costs over $2,600 (Shs4.4 million).
Ms Gaetje-Defloor said KFL will charge three-four times less than road transport.
A source that preferred anonymity for not being authorised to speak to the press told the Daily monitor that the grounded MV Pamba and MV Kawa will soon be repaired.
"Funds have been secured to repair and insure the two ships," the source said. The source said the funding was discussed at the just concluded Presidential Investors around Table (PIRT) last month.
KFL was established in 1952 in Kamanga near Mwanza town in Tanzania. The company operates a fleet of multipurpose cargo vessels on the entire Lake Victoria connecting Uganda now, Kenya and Tanzania transporting a wide range of goods such as fuel oil, heavy mining equipment, cotton and many more.
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