KALANGALA .
Islanders in the sub counties of Bufumira and Kyamuswa in the island district of Kalangala have a reason to smile after getting a water vessel to address interconnectivity challenges in the area .
MV Ormiston, a new waterbus, has in the past two days been mapping routes on Lake Victoria where it will pass .
.The proposed routes include a connection from Mwena on Bugala Island to Ssemawundo on Bufumira Island, Kitobo, Banda, Bbosa on Sserinya island, Misonzi and Kaaya on Lulamba island, and finally Kacanga on Buvu island before linking to Kasenyi.
A second route will cover Lwanabatya on Bukasa island, Buyange, Lwazi-Bubeke on Bubeke island, and Lwazi-Jaana on Jaana island before heading to Kasenyi in Entebbe.
This second route will now be served by two vessels, following the earlier efforts of MV Nathalie to offer consistent transport for residents of Kyamuswa subcounty.
According to Kyamuswa County MP, Moses Kabuusu, who lobbied the private company to extend its services to the area , the water bus will be transporting passengers and cargo from Kalangala to Kasenyi landing site in Wakiso district daily .
“The vessel has completed route mapping and it is now docked at Kasenyi landing site, awaiting approval and licensing from the Ministry of Works and Transport,” he said
He said unlike vessels that require docking piers for smooth operations, MV Ormiston is a multipurpose vessel capable of shoreline landings, like traditional wooden boats.
“This feature makes it easier for passengers at landing sites without piers to board and disembark with their goods,” he said
Annie Wanjiru, business development and operations manager, explained that the vessel carries 180 passengers and up to five tonnes of cargo, excluding vehicles.
“We’re in the final stages of confirming that this route is viable for us and stakeholders. At the start, we’ll have one round trip daily because we want people to trade quickly and easily,” said Annie.
The Kasenyi-Kyamuswa route has been underserviced and islanders usually use wooden vessels commonly known as Ebinaala to connect to the area . Majority of the vessels including MV Kalangala ,MV Sssese and MV Pearl land on the main island –Buggala .