Unra keeps Obongi- Sinyanya ferry operations closed
Obongi Ferry: routes between Sinyanya (Adjumani) to Obongi (Moyo). PHOTO| UNRA| FILE
Uganda National Roads Authority (Unra) has maintained the closure of Obongi ferry operations until the water levels on River Nile subside.
Obongi ferry connects Adjumani and Obongi districts. Its operations were halted on July 9.
In a July 9 letter to Obongi leaders, Ms Allen Kagina, the Unra executive director, said the ferry’s landing site is risky for users due to the flooding of the access road, causes damage to cargo and vehicles during embarking and disembarking operations and could damage the ferry hull.
“We have planned to carry out emergency landing site maintenance in order to resume safe ferry operations amidst high water levels. In the meantime, there is need to temporarily close the ferry service at Obongi-Sinyanya ferry route for safety reasons,” the letter reads in part.
Mr Reuben Tumwebaze, the director of infrastructure protection at Unra, at the weekend said a technical team would be sent in the area to carry out the required landing site improvement works.
“We are aware of the challenges at Obongi-Sinyanya ferry crossing. However, normal ferry operations shall resume when the water level subsides,” Mr Tumwebaze said.
Mr Mark Ssali, the Unra spokesperson, said the authority has faced similar problems on several ferry landing sites across the country.
“It is very difficult to give a timeline on when the ferry will resume. We feel their pain and we are sorry about that but we shall soon work on the landing site,” Mr Ssali said. Currently Unra operates 10 ferries across the various major water bodies in the country.
Ms Lily Kareo Duku, the Obongi chairperson, said residents had resorted to using canoes to cross the three-kilometre stretch, which is risky.
Mr James Leku, her Adjumani counterpart, said halting the ferry operations had affected business between the two districts since many people have been cut off from accessing markets.
