MV Kaawa set to sail after months of rehabilitation

Port Bell, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | MV Kaawa, one of Uganda’s oldest ships, is ready for deployment again following almost a year of rehabilitation works.

Works for the rehabilitation of MV Kaawa began last year and were expected to see the vessel fit to transport cargo between Port Bell in Uganda and Kisumu and Mwanza in Kenya and Tanzania.

The undocking of MV Kaawa, after months of rehabilitation, commenced earlier this week after the rehabilitation works that included steel works, overhaul of Portside Engine, Fuel Injection System of the Starboard Side Engine and replacement of Hydrophore Tank, among others.

Uganda Railways Corporation says that the water vessel is now ready for deployment on Lake Victoria to ease the haulage of cargo, along with MV Pamba. Each of the vessels can transport 880 tonnes of cargo with roll-on wagons, and 1200 tonnes with cargo on deck per trip in 18 hours.

“They offer easy access to the Central Corridor through Mwanza, are low on carbon emissions and are cost-friendly compared to road, taking 15 dollars per tonne,” says Head of Communications, John Ssengendo.

MV Kaawa was first ‘grounded’ in May 2005, when, on the way to Mwanza, she collided with MV Kabalega en route to Port Bell in Kampala, damaging her bow, while Kabalega was damaged below the waterline.

While Kaawa safely returned to Port Bell, Kabalega sank a few hours after the collision.

On the other hand, after being grounded for 16 years due to class requirement issues and lack of insurance, MV Pamba was rehabilitated and relaunched in February 2022.

The grounding was induced by an investigation into the seaworthiness of Ugandan vessels after the collision of Kabalega and Pamba.

On 18th May 2020, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Government of Uganda (represented by the Ministry of Works and Transport) and M/S Mango Tree Group Limited (MTGL).

As per the MoU, MTGL was to carry out the rehabilitation, upgrade, and class, ensure and commission MV Pamba. The whole project cost 12 Billion Shillings.

The two state-owned vessels will join the growing number of ferries across Lake Victoria, most of them privately owned by companies in Uganda, as well as those from Kenya.

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