MV Kaawa, one of Uganda’s oldest water vessels, is ready for deployment once again following nearly a year of rehabilitation.
The refurbishment, which began last year, aimed to restore the vessel’s capacity to transport cargo between Port Bell in Uganda and the ports of Kisumu in Kenya and Mwanza in Tanzania.
Rehabilitation works included extensive steelwork, a complete overhaul of the portside engine, upgrades to the starboard engine’s fuel injection system, and the replacement of the hydrophore tank, among other improvements.
The undocking of MV Kaawa commenced earlier this week, marking the end of the restoration phase.
Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) confirmed that the vessel is now fit for operation and will help bolster cargo transportation across Lake Victoria, alongside MV Pamba.
According to URC’s Head of Communications, John Ssengendo, each vessel can carry up to 880 tonnes of cargo using roll-on wagons or 1,200 tonnes when loaded on deck.
“They offer easy access to the Central Corridor through Mwanza, are low on carbon emissions, and are more cost-effective compared to road transport—costing just 15 dollars per tonne,” Ssengendo noted.
MV Kaawa was first grounded in May 2005 after a collision with MV Kabalega, which occurred while Kaawa was en route to Mwanza and Kabalega was returning to Port Bell.
While Kaawa sustained damage to its bow and returned safely, Kabalega was struck below the waterline and sank a few hours later.
The incident prompted a broad investigation into the seaworthiness of Ugandan vessels, leading to the grounding of MV Pamba, which remained out of service for 16 years due to class certification and insurance issues.
Pamba was eventually rehabilitated and relaunched in February 2022.
MV Pamba’s revival followed a Memorandum of Understanding signed on May 18, 2020, between the Government of Uganda—through the Ministry of Works and Transport—and M/S Mango Tree Group Limited (MTGL).
The Shs12 billion agreement tasked MTGL with the rehabilitation, upgrading, classification, and commissioning of the vessel.
With both state-owned vessels now operational, they will join a growing fleet of cargo ferries operating on Lake Victoria, most of which are privately owned and operated in Uganda and Kenya.
English 