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2.5 Uganda Waterways Assessment

Uganda Waterways AssessmentCompany InformationTravel Time MatrixKey RoutesPort Information

Uganda Waterways Assessment

About 241,038 square kilometers of Uganda’s total land area is covered by swamps, lakes and rivers, most of which are navigable. Almost all of Uganda’s water resources are Trans- boundary in nature and shared with her neighbors such as Kenya and Tanzania (Lake Victoria) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (Lake Albert and Edward). Water transport is therefore used to transport communities living in the Islands, across the lakes, tourists and goods.

The inland water transport system in Uganda is divided as Lake Victoria transport and transport on the remaining five lakes and six rivers. Lake Albert provides truck ferries to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Port of Kisumu in Kenya is part of the Northern Corridor transport system. The Kisumu route does not attract transit to Uganda due to the low capacity of the Nakuru – Kisumu railway track. This route connects Kenya to both Tanzania and Uganda through Lake Victoria. Unfortunately it can only support low axle loads. The growth of the hyacinth has only worsened the situation and even further affected vessel movement.

Uganda does not have river ports but has two inland ports on Lake Victoria. That is the Jinja pier and Port Bell. Only one ship operates between Port Bell and Kampala. Uganda also utilises the neighbouring country lake ports of Mwanza in Tanzania and Kisumu in Kenya.

The Rift Valley Railways operates services from Port of Mombasa to Tororo/Kampala while marine services operate between Port Bell and Jinja to Kisumu in Kenya, and to Mwanza and Bukoba in Tanzania. International lake transport is currently grouped with rail transport and the international ferry services (wagon ferry services) to Kisumu and Mwanza. The domestic lake transport, like river transport, is now mainly a small-scale private sector activity with minimal fixed infrastructure support. 

There is also insufficient navigation aids. The Inland Water Transport Study (IWTS), carried out in 1988, identified over 70 landing sites around Uganda where formal or informal water transport services had been operated.

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The Government operates ferry services as a continuation of the national roads across points on rivers and lakes where it would be uneconomical to build bridges. These ferry services are important for linking parts of the country to the capital, regional centers and communities.

Major threats to the waterways in Uganda are:

The re-emergence of water hyacinth which interferes with water transportation on the lake despite efforts made by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and the World Bank, to salvage the lake.The fall in water level is a threat to the water transport on the Lake which is normally caused by reduced input in terms of rain and inflows into the lake system; and increased outflows caused by excess releases at Jinja.Blockage of commercial transport routes and communications between islands and

Increased operational costs for commercial vessels.

4.1 Uganda Government Contact List

Company Information

The water transport sector in Uganda is managed by the UNRA under the Ministry of Works.

4.4 Uganda Port and Waterways Company Contact List

Travel Time Matrix

Travel Time from Main port to other major Ports  (hours / days)  by cargo ship

  Mombasa  Port Bell Mwanza  Kisumu 

Mombasa 0 10 days 11 days n/a

Port Bell n/a 0 4 days 13 hours

Mwanza  n/a 1 day 0 n/a

Key Routes

Key Route Information-Domestic / International

  From: Port Bell

To: Kisumu

From: Port Bell

To: Mwanza

From: Jinja Pier

To: Mwanza

Total Distance (km) 316 864 725

Width (m):

Broadest

Narrowest

N/A N/A N/A

River Flow

(m³ / second)

N/A N/A N/A

Seasonal Affects N/A N/A N/A

Maximum Weight and

Size of Vessels

N/A N/A N/A

Regular Traffic

Passenger / Cargo

N/A N/A N/A

Companies Operating

Along the Route

Uganda National Roads Authority Uganda National Roads Authority Uganda National Roads Authority

Security Concerns

(Yes / No)

Yes Yes Yes

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Port Information

Key Port Information

  Port Name Port Name Port Name

Location Port Bell Jinja Pier Kyoga

Contact Information Uganda National Roads Authority Uganda National Roads Authority Uganda National Roads Authority

Connections with other

transport means

(road/waterways/air)

Road/rail Road/Rail Road

Storage Capacity

(square meters and cubic meters)

N/A N/A N/A

Handling Equipment N/A N/A N/A

Customs Clearance Available

(Yes / No)

Yes Yes No