WATER TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

This section examines the current state of water transport infrastructure at the selected landing sites and associated SAR centres on Lakes Albert, Kyoga, and Victoria. It focuses on three main aspects: landing site facilities, types of vessels in use, and safety infrastructure, highlighting variations across the lakes and ongoing improvements.

Landing Site Facilities

Landing site infrastructure varies significantly depending on the lake’s economic role, traffic volume, level of formal investment, and geographical constraints.

Lake Albert – Kaiso-Tonya and Wanseko

Kaiso-Tonya (Hoima/Buliisa Districts): Facilities are predominantly informal and basic. The sites feature simple wooden jetties constructed from logs and timber, makeshift ramps made of sandbags and planks, open fish drying racks, and small trading stalls built with corrugated iron sheets. There are no paved access roads leading directly to the water’s edge, limited or no public lighting, and no formal passenger waiting areas or ticketing booths. Waste management is minimal, with fish remains, plastic litter, and general debris commonly observed along the shore. Recent upgrades under the Multinational Lake Victoria Maritime Communications and Transport (MLVMCT) project have introduced basic fencing, signage, and a small administrative area at Kaiso, but overall infrastructure remains rudimentary and vulnerable to erosion and seasonal lake level changes.

Wanseko (Buliisa District): Slightly more developed due to its role as a ferry terminal. The site includes a concrete ramp for the MV Albert Nile 1, a small waiting shelter, fish handling platforms, and informal market stalls. Access is via a gravel road, but the site lacks proper drainage, lighting, waste disposal systems, and covered passenger areas. Seasonal flooding and siltation occasionally make the ramp inaccessible.

Lake Kyoga – Zengebe

Zengebe (Nakasongola District) remains a small-scale, largely informal landing site. Facilities consist of a short wooden jetty for the MV Kyoga ferry, scattered fish drying racks, and temporary market stalls. The surrounding area is heavily vegetated with papyrus and reeds, and the shallow approaches limit vessel size and require careful navigation. No paved access roads exist; most users arrive on foot, motorcycle, or bicycle. The newly completed Zengebe SAR Centre has introduced limited improvements such as a small administrative office, signage, and basic fencing but the landing site itself lacks modern amenities like covered waiting areas, lighting, toilets, or organized waste management.

Lake Victoria – Kaazi/Kagwara

Kaazi (Wakiso District): One of the better-equipped sites on the Ugandan side of Lake Victoria. It features a concrete jetty with bollards and mooring points, a passenger waiting shelter, fish handling platforms, and small market stalls. Access roads are gravel or partially tarmac, with some public lighting and signage. The Kaazi SAR Centre (operational since 2022–2024) has added administrative buildings, VHF radio towers, a fenced compound, and basic utilities.

Kagwara (Serere District): More rural and less developed, with a basic wooden jetty, drying racks, and informal stalls. Access is via gravel roads, and infrastructure suffers from seasonal water level fluctuations, vegetation growth, and occasional submersion of piers. Government efforts are ongoing to improve signage, drainage, and small-scale upgrades.

Types of Vessels

The types of vessels in use reflect the scale of economic activity, level of formalisation, and operational requirements on each lake.

Lake Albert

Predominantly artisanal and small-scale: wooden dugout canoes (3–7 m), small motorized boats (5–9.5 m) fitted with outboard engines (15–40 HP). “Kabalega” style boats (long, narrow wooden vessels) are common at Tonya, designed for heavy fishing loads and gear transport.

One scheduled ferry (MV Albert Nile 1) operates from Wanseko to Panyimur; no large commercial cargo vessels.

Informal cross-border boats to DRC ports are frequent but largely unregulated.

Lake Kyoga

Almost entirely small-scale: traditional wooden canoes and dugouts (3–7 m) with low-powered outboard engines or paddles.

One scheduled ferry (MV Kyoga) operates from Zengebe to Amolatar/Namasale; capacity is limited (≈50–80 passengers).

No large vessels, cargo carriers, or formal passenger ferries; transport is entirely artisanal and informal.

Lake Victoria

Most diverse and formalised fleet:

1. Passenger ferries (e.g., MV Rafiki, MV Umoja, MV Uhuru) – steel-hulled, 200–500 passenger capacity, some with vehicle decks.
2. Cargo/train ferries (MV Kaawa, MV Pemba) – used for bulk goods, containers, and rail wagons.

• Medium-sized wooden/motorized boats (8–15 m) for fishing, island transport, and small cargo.

1. Small artisanal canoes and outboard boats for local fishing and short trips.
2. Formal operators (Uganda Railways Corporation, private ferry companies) dominate commercial routes, while informal boats serve coastal and island communities.

Safety Infrastructure

Safety infrastructure is unevenly distributed, with recent government investments concentrated on establishing nine national SAR centres.

Lake Albert

1. Kaiso SAR Centre: Operational since 2024–2025 under the MLVMCT project. Equipped with rapid-response rescue boats, VHF radio communication, a small medical unit, vessel licensing office, and basic training facilities.
2. Wanseko: No dedicated SAR centre yet; relies on informal community response, police marine unit, and coordination with Kaiso. A planned expansion may include coverage at Panyimur/Kaiso.

• Overall: Very limited navigation aids (buoys, beacons), low lifejacket availability, and minimal enforcement of safety regulations.

Lake Kyoga

1. Zengebe SAR Centre: Completed and operational (2025). Includes rescue boats, VHF radio, a small clinic/first-aid post, and solar-powered weather buoys for real-time monitoring. Serves as the primary emergency hub for central-western Kyoga.
2. Overall: Extremely limited safety equipment on vessels; high drowning risk from canoes, overloading, and weather-related incidents.

Lake Victoria

1. Kaazi SAR Centre: Operational or near-operational (handover 2022–2024). Equipped with rescue boats, VHF radio, basic medical facilities, firefighting equipment, and 24/7 monitoring capability. Coordinates with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Entebbe and regional partners in Kisumu (Kenya) and Mwanza (Tanzania).
2. Additional hub: Masese (Jinja) provides similar capacity.

• Impact: Significant reduction in drowning deaths (from ~5,000 annually pre-2025 to approximately 226 in recent reporting), attributed to improved response times and safety awareness.

1. Overall: Better enforcement on commercial routes, but artisanal boats and informal landing sites remain high-risk due to persistent overloading and low lifejacket usage.