Desperate travelers resort to boats as Katonga Bridge emergency works start

Travelers from Mpigi District connecting to either Kalungu or Masaka City have resorted to using engine boats to cross River Katonga on Kampala-Masaka highway.
Travelers, mostly those from Kayabwe Town, are now using boats to cross to Nabyewanga after River Katonga Bridge was carved in last Thursday following devastating flash floods.

Before boarding boats, the travelers from Masaka side first use boda bodas which charge between Shs2,000 and  Shs5,000 to connect to the nearby Kiwami landing site while those from Mpigi side pay the same fare to connect to Namirembe landing site.
“Our local fishermen have decided to use their canoes  to help locals access Kayabwe Town as we wait for government to fix the bridge,” Mr Francis Bbuye, the Nkozi Sub County chairperson said on Wednesday. 
He said residents, especially expectant mothers from the villages of Ggolo, Katonga and Nabyewanga have been unable to access Nkozi Hospital for antenatal services in the past one week due to the broken bridge at River Katonga.

Mr Bbuye said some travelers from Masaka who don't have heavy cargo can also use the same route to cross the River and board commuter taxis from Kayabwe Town and connect to Kampala.
“I have heard many [travelers] complaining that the alternative route through Mpigi, Butambala, Gomba-Sembabule, Bukomansimbi is long. This is a shorter route to Kampala if someone doesn’t have cargo and are not aquaphobic,” he added.  
Mr Sam Ssenkubuge, a fisherman at Kiwami landing site said they had temporarily suspended fishing activities to help out the stranded travelers.
He said each traveler pays Shs10, 000 for the 30-minute trip in the boat. A total of 50 boat engines, each carrying 10 passengers, are currently operating in the area according to Ssenkubuge.

“The recent floods which damaged the bridge affected fishing on both the river and the lake. We decided to make some quick money by transporting stranded travelers. Safety is emphasized here and every passenger puts on a lifesaving jacket before sitting in the boat,” he said.  
By Wednesday afternoon, Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra) engineers had started emergency repairs at Katonga Bridge. Other engineers were also seen replacing culverts in Lwera swamp which were damaged by flash floods last weekend.