Members of Parliament (MPs) have tasked the government to start carrying out periodic surveys on water bodies to establish physical changes and advise Ugandans on which routes to avoid in order to avert accidents.
Recently, six people from Kyamuswa County died after the boat they were traveling in capsized when it hit a rock at Lake Victoria.
The quest was made by Ssemujju Nganda, the Kira Municipality MP, during plenary sessions on October 1, 2024, where he wondered why it has taken the government long to carry out such navigation surveys on water bodies.
“The government has a duty to make water transport safe by periodically surveying and establishing if there are physical changes in the lake or river itself. The minister earlier on spoke about a rock. The last time that sort of inspection happened was during the colonial days; even the law relating to water transport is a colonial law. The moment you don’t go to find out the shape in which the routes on the water are, it means you will have more boats and vessels hitting those rocks,” Ssemujju said.
Ssemuju’s remarks followed an appeal by Moses Kabuusu, the Kyamuswa County MP, asking the government to help in the search of six people who died after the boat they were traveling in capsized.
Kabuusu also asked the government to provide his people with a means of transport instead of them using their local boats, which are more prone to capsizing people.
“The Ministry of Works should come up with a plan; my constituency doesn’t have a ship, ferry, or any government facility for transport. I have been the MP for two terms, and in a spell of 10 years, I haven’t persuaded the government to buy a ferry for my people; at least after the next elections, I shouldn’t plead with the government to buy a ferry,” Kabuusu said.
In response to the MPs demands, Minister of State for Works and Transport Fred Byamukama acknowledged that the government was aware of the fatal rock that led to the boat capsizing and that residents had earlier been warned against using that particular route, especially at night.
“In May 2024, we brought out a Marine notice to all people who live along Lake Victoria, and on that notice, we also put an attachment of the no-go zone areas at night, “Byamukama noted.
He added, “We even put in the notice that people using the lake use it between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. We have been aware of the rock, and that particular area is where we have been notifying our people not to go at night.”
