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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Ssezibwa regional marine police has restricted passenger boats plying the Kiyindi-Buvuma route to prevent water accidents. Following the suspension of Kiyindi-Buvuma ferry last week because of a mechanical breakdown, various boat operators including fishermen started transporting people across Lake Victoria without considering passenger safety.
On top of excess loading of passengers and merchandise, the boat operators cared less about providing travelers with life jackets. Godfrey Luiga, the Ssezibwa Marine Police Commander, says they were surprised to see over 30 boats involved in transporting people.
He however, says they intervened and restricted the boats to only 12. “We are much concerned about people’s lives. We cannot leave whoever is interested in doing this business to go on without going through the proper channels,” Luiga said.
Adding that, “that reckless loading of goods and commodities without considering the boat weight has caused water accidents on various routes.” Boats carrying people from Kiyindi to Kirongo landing site in Buvuma are licensed to carry between 25 to 100 passengers depending on the size. However, most of the operators act otherwise.
Each operator is required to register passengers, provide life jackets equivalent to the number of the people it carries and same some reserves. However, URN has observed that even the licensed operators provide very old life jackets, which may not be useful in times of emergency.
George Ssenabulya, a boat operator admits that some of the boats that were stopped from operating are too old and were risking the lives of passengers.
Derrick Mugalu, whose boat was grounded for illegally transporting passenger, notes that it is the situation forcing them to trap money from various angles.
“We go fishing during night; sometimes we come back without any fish. But we were prohibited from involving our boats in transporting people,” Mugalu said.
Captain Steven Alituha, the Commander Fisheries Protection Unit Buvuma sector, says boats are registered to serve various purposes, which they must stick too.
He however, says that many of them didn’t register and are less aware about the working rules.
Buvuma is among the districts that has been experiencing water accidents in the past five years. Godfrey Luiga, the Ssezibwa Marine Police Commander, says they have had about 4 boat accidents since the ferry operations were suspended.
The ferry is in its final stages of repair and maintenance. Francis Opeduni, the Ground Ferry Engineer told URN they needed a lot of time to repair the ferry, saying they have completed 85 percent of the work. He says it will soon resume operations.
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