MV Pamba back in operation

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The MV Pamba ferry that has been grounded for the last 16 years has resumed operations on Lake Victoria.

MV Pamba has been grounded at Port bell since 2005. The vessel was instituted in 1959 together with MV Kabaleega and MV Kaawa to boost business across East Africa.

It sunk after it collided with a wagon ferry, MV Kaawa in 2005 and was being repaired at Port Bell, Luzira. Before it was grounded, the vessel transported cargo to and from Mwanza and Kisumu (Port Florence) to Luzira – Kampala (Port Bell).

Speaking at the commissioning of the vessel on Thursday at Port Bell Luzira, Prime Minister Robina Nabbanja said that the grounding of the vessel affected the business community.

She said that the resumption will help boost trade not only in Luzira but also in the country. She says that MV Pamba will provide an alternative route for traders to easily transport cargo safer and faster.

Stanley Ssendegeya the Managing Director of Uganda Railways Cooperation said that Its resumption of operations is expected to boost wagon ferry transportation on Lake Victoria.

The government contracted Mango Tree Group to repair the vessel and the company will manage it until it recovers the money invested in it.

An estimated sh18 billion was budgeted for repairing MV Pamba which has the capacity to carry 22 wagons. Mango Tree Group is already managing vessels on Lake Tanganyika, River Congo, and River Nile in South Sudan.

Before 1986, MV Pamba operated under the East African Railways, which also owned MV Victoria, SS Usoga, SS Sybil, SS Barbus, MV Umoja, and MV Uhuru in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.

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