Kalangala loses Shs197m in tourism as ferry breaks down

What you need to know:

  • Loss. Tourism operators in Kalangala have documented a Shs197m loss after tourists cancelled their visits.

KALANGALA.

The Ssese Islands Tourism Development Association (SITDA), an umbrella body for all tourism operators in Kalangala has documented a Shs197 million loss after several tourists cancelled travelling to the island due to lack of reliable marine transport.

Bookings cancelled
The vice chairperson SITDA, Mr Robert Ssebalamu, while addressing journalists at the district headquarters on Monday, said many tourists had cancelled bookings with different hotels and travel operator - Ssese islands Tours and Travel after failing to secure better means of transport.

“We couldn’t assure them (tourists) of better means of transport since all ferries are inactive. Our main tour operator lost up to 23 people who booked for a retreat here during the Christmas season. We therefore call on government to bring back MV Kalangala and also operationalise the Masaka-Kalangala ferries so as to boost the tourism industry during this peak season,” Mr Ssebalamu said.

Maintenance
Currently, Kalangala’s main vessel MV Kalangala is undergoing routine maintenance while MV Ssese and MV Pearl are no longer operating.

The dilapidation of the ferry network has mainly been blamed on the inefficiency and poor communication between different ferry operators who leave many travellers and business operators without alternatives creating losses to Kalangala traders.

“At least we should be given an update on how the ferries would operate so as to help us devise means of getting our merchandise from the main land. Otherwise such interruptions haunt us severally,” Mr Baale Charles, a trader in Kalangala Town, said.

UNRA petitioned

The Kalangala District chairperson, Mr William Lugoloobi, on Monday petitioned the Uganda National Roads Authority to investigate circumstances under which ferries that ply the Kalangala-Masaka route failed to operate efficiently yet the agency pays colossal sums of money to have them transport people and cargo to and from the main land.

The Masaka-Kalangala Ferry Operators’ spokesperson, Mr Joseph Mulindwa, in an interview with journalists on Monday at the Lukku-Bugoma ferry point in Kalangala District, called on the public not to panic, saying the ferries were undergoing routine maintenance and would later resume normal operations.

Operation
Routes. Kalangala is served by three ferries alongside other water vessels such as boats. MV Kalangala plys the Entebbe-Kalangala route; while MV Pearl and MV Ssese operate the Masaka route.