Travellers stuck as Lake Albert ferry suspends operations

Travellers to and from the districts of Buliisa and Nebbi using the MV Albert Nile 1 ferry on Lake Albert have been forced to find alternative ways to travel after the ferry suspended operations along the Wanseko-Panyimur route last week.  

The suspension follows a reduction of water levels in the lake which has made it impossible for the ferry to dock at the Egyptian Landing Site in Buliisa District. The ferry has been docking at the landing site since December 2021 after floods washed away its original dock at Wanseko Landing Site in Buliisa District. 

“It is risky to force the ferry to move with the reduced water levels as it will put passengers’ lives at risk,” Mr Anthony Azora, the captain of the vessel, said in an interview with Daily Monitor on Tuesday. 

When contacted on the matter on Tuesday, the spokesperson of the Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra), Mr Allan Ssempebwa, confirmed the suspension but said they are working to ensure that the ferry resumes operations as soon as possible. 

The suspension of the operations of the ferry has disrupted the business at Wanseko Landing Site as travellers look for alternative ways to travel.

Mr Nelson Mandela, the owner of a boat engine at Wanseko Landing Site, said the transport costs have risen from Shs3,000 to Shs10,000. 

“Travellers have reduced tremendously and they only travel for emergencies,” he said. 
Mr Robert Muhangi, a trader, said: “When the ferry was operating, I used to sell food and drinks daily and I would make a profit of more than Shs50,000 a day but now I am selling papyrus to earn a living.” 

Mr James Anatoli, a businessman at Wanseko Landing Site, said he is making more money carrying people’s luggage to the boat. 

“Passengers did not stop at the landing site with their luggage but instead went all the way to the ferry. Today the motorcycle or bicycle with luggage stops at the landing site and we carry them to the boats,” he said. 

As an alternative route, those with cars are being diverted to the Buliisa-Paraa-Pakwach-Panyimur or Buliisa-Kisanja-Kigumba-Karuma-Pakwach-Panyimur route.

This is not the first time that the ferry has suspended operations. In 2020, the ferry was forced to cancel operations after floods washed away its original dock at Wanseko Landing Site. Operations resumed in December last year and were shifted to the Egyptian Landing Site. 

About the ferry
MV Albert Nile 1 ferry was purchased in 2015 at Shs1.8 billion and was commissioned by the Uganda National Roads Authority in July 2018. 

It can carry up to 250 passengers and their luggage and operates from Monday to Saturday. 

The ferry is also a major link for nearby towns such as Kigorobya in Hoima District, Biso and Wanseko in Buliisa District, and Panyimur in Nebbi District.