Andrew Bagala
20 August 2008
A Tanzanian ship sailing to Portbell Port at Luzira, near Kampala, sunk into Lake Victoria, Police said. The ship, which was navigated by a Tanzania Captain, Ananias Mbomwe, was transporting 200 tonnes of mineral water and 40 tonnes of cotton cake seed belonging to Coca Cola from Mwanza Port, Tanzania.
According to police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba, the MV AZZA sank near Bukasa Islands in Ugandan water on Monday at around 6pm.
"It is true the ship sank near Bukasa Islands, Kalangala District but all its 15-man crew was rescued without any injuries," Ms Nabakooba said on Monday.
According to police, the incident happened after the ship developed a technical problem at Kisaba Hills near Bukasa Islands. Coca Cola publicist Maureen Kyomuhendo yesterday told Daily Monitor that indeed their cargo sunk with the ship but said they had insured the cargo.
Uganda often hires Tanzanian ships to transport cargo because the country has only one ship after another sunk. In 2005, Uganda's MV Kabalega and MV Kaawa collided, an impact that led to the sinking of the former in Lake Victoria. Since then the country have never replaced it or retrieved the wreckage.
The Lake Victoria-Dar es Salaam route is Uganda's most viable alternative way to the sea after the Kampala-Mombasa route which accounts for nearly three thirds of the country export-import trade.
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