Entebbe locals excited over plan to build shorter route to Masaka

Residents and leaders on Buwaya Island in Kasanje Town Council, Wakiso District, are upbeat about the government’s plan to construct a suspension toll-bridge connecting to Entebbe Town.

If constructed, the bridge will offer a shorter route connecting to Kampala - Masaka highway in Mpigi District.
According to the outgoing minister for Works and Transport, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, the government plans to implement the project under the National Development Plan III (NDP III).
 “Our  plan is to have a bridge between Nakiwogo and Buwaya so that it becomes  easier for travellers from  Entebbe to connect   to Mpigi or Masaka without necessarily going through Kampala. A person will just cross the bridge and connect to Mpigi in less than 30 minutes,” Gen Wamala said during an interview on Sunday.

However, he said construction of the  bridge will take some time because engineers will have to first conduct  numerous feasibility studies,  including  checking the depth of  the water on the route. The distance between  Nakiwogo docking site to Buwaya is  estimated to be 4 kilometres.
Already, the government has promised to tarmac the Nateete-Nakawuka-Kisubi –Mpigi –Kasanje –Buwaya road. However, it is not yet clear when the project will kick off.

 The planned development has attracted   many people who have since bought land and constructed residential houses in Buwaya.
 Many commute daily to work in Entebbe town using the Nakiwogo-Buwaya ferry and private boats. Others have bought agricultural land and they supply considerable tonnes of food and crops to various markets in Entebbe.
“Considering the rate at people are buying land in Buwaya, we have started getting worried that land in this area is also going to become expensive. An acre of land in Buwaya currently costs between Shs30 million and  Shs50 million,”  Ms Safina Nagawa, a resident of Buwaya and market vendor at Nakiwogo market, said.

 Before Covid-19 struck the country last year, Ms Nagawa said boats connecting to Buwaya  used to carry between 10 and 12 passengers and they were charging Shs2,000 but the fares have increased to  Shs3,000 as boats carry only  three passengers to observe social distancing rules.
“If a bridge is erected, the transport fares will be no more. It will be easier for one to connect to either side of the lake because we will be crossing on foot without necessarily using   boats,” she added.

Traffic jam
Former Entebbe Municipality Mayor Vincent Kayanja Depaul said some tourists who come to Uganda through Entebbe sometimes want  to use the Nakiwo-Buwaya route to go straight to South western Uganda and  avoid the menacing traffic gridlock  in Kampala.
“Traffic jams are still a challenge in Kampala and many tourists who come to   Uganda usually complain about it. So, this bridge, if constructed, will save us a lot,” he said.