Following the closure of the Kampala-Masaka Highway after floods washed away the Katonga Bridge, Ministry of Works and Transport has set up an alternative route to Masaka City via the Lake Victoria waters.
MV Kalangala and MV NODL - Victoria will be transporting travellers from Nakiwogo in Entebbe to Bukakata in Masaka and vice versa - a development that starts off today Monday 15th May at 1pm.
MV Kalangala will be vying from Nakiwogo via Kalangala to Masaka while the MV-NODL-Victoria will be going directly to Bukakata in Masaka.
MV Kalangala will transport both passengers and cargo whereas the latter will only transport passengers and each will be making only one trip a day.
Plans laid show that first trip will be on Monday at 1pm leaving Nakiwogo and arriving Bukakata landing site at 4:30pm and then Tuesday morning, the vessel will leave early at 8am and arrive in Nakiwogo at 12:30pm.
The status quo will take shape until any further changes come up.
Mr Sadala Musoke, the chief executive officer of Nation Oil Distributors Limited, a firm managing both vessels, said the alternative route was set up after consultations with stakeholders.
“Water transport is the safest and cheapest means of transport but many of our people don’t acknowledge that. This is an opportunity for Ugandans going to Masaka must utilise to minimise the time spent on the road since this will take them only three hours depending on the environment on the lake,” Mr Musoke said, adding that they will be charging only Shs15,000.
