Africa-Press – Uganda. Travellers using the two ferries connecting Kalangala to Masaka District have appealed to authorities to repair the docking pier at Bukakkata Landing Site. The yard at the docking pier in Masaka is damaged and impassable thus inconveniencing passengers using MV Pearl or MV Ssese ferries .
Both ferries are managed by Kalangala Infrastructure Services (KIS).Mr Shaban Ssemuganga, a taxi driver on the Kalangala-Masaka route , said their vehicles frequently break down due to the poor state of the docking pier.
He said the situation, which has been has been the same for more than a year, has recently been exacerbated by torrential rain. “Now that the Nyendo-Bukakkata road has been tarmacked, we also request government to repair the docking pier to reduce the risk of losing lives,” he said at the weekend.
Mr Samuel Ssenkumba, a traveller to Kalangala Island , said due to the rising water levels at the docking pier, the ferries are at risk of being damaged due to the shallow ends at the swamps .
“How can people swim in torrents of muddy water to access the ferry? Those responsible need to swiftly address this problem before it becomes a disaster ,” he said.
Mr Joseph Mulindwa, the KIS spokesperson, said government is in charge of repairing the docking sites.“All these docking facilities belong to the Ministry of Works, we are only given a licence to use them, some ministry officials were sent recently to inspect and carry out an assessment of the repairs . We are still waiting for their response,” he said.
Mr Allan Ssempebwa, the spokesperson of the Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra), said their engineers are yet to commence works at Bukakkata docking pier .
Mr Ssempebwa said some dilapidated piers across the country are supposed to be renovated and upgraded by the Ministry of Works and Transport under the Directorate of Marine Transport while others are under Unra .
The ministry repaired the Lutoboka Pier in Kalangala and Nakiwogo Pier in Entebbe.There are only two main routes connecting Kalangala Islands to the mainland –one is through Entebbe ,which takes three hours on water and the 45-minute Bukakkata –Bugoma route with the use of the MV Pearl and MV Ssese marine vessels.
