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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda National Roads Authority-UNRA says the Nakiwogo-Buwaya ferry will not work on September 25-26, in order to undergo mandatory maintenance.
UNRA says the exercise aims at enhancing the ferry’s service reliability and safety.
In its absence, the agency advises the public to travel by road through the Entebbe road-Ssisa-Nakawuka-Kasanje-Buwaya route.
The ferry operates daily from 7am to 6pm. It is licensed to carry 100 passengers, 10 cars and 20 motorcycles. However, due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the ferry has been carrying a maximum of 50 people, six cars and ten motorcycles.
The route is mainly used by residents of Entebbe who have farms in Buwaya and on business, while Buwaya residents travel frequently to Entebbe for medical care at Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital and other health centres, or sell mainly food stuffs, and also travel to buy merchandise.
Some of these residents including Hellen Babirye and Joy Zalwango told our reporter that in the absence of the ferry, they will use boats. The boats charge shillings 3,000 per trip. The ferry is free.
Zalwango, six months pregnant says she usually travels to Entebbe for antenatal checkup at Entebbe hospital.
Apart from residents, the route is popular among travelers destined to Mpigi. They include truck drivers Chrysostom Ssebuliba and Sam Ssebulime who prefer to transport logs and timber via Buwaya than using the Nakawuka-Mpigi road.
Ssebulime says the Nakawuka road trip is cumbersome because of potholes and therefore he spends more time on the road and consumes more fuel.
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