“The slow recruitment process of a marine crew to man the refurbished MV Pamba is to blame for the delayed operationalisation of the vessel,” this publication has established.

The grounded MV Pamba wagon ferry that has been under repair for the last two years was expected to resume normal operations last October.

Ms Susan Kataike, the spokesperson of Uganda’s Ministry of Works and Transport said government is opting for professionals from neighbouring countries.

“Uganda has fewer marine professionals and we are trying to recruit from countries like Kenya,” she noted.

A vessel’s crew comprises various units including the deck, engineering and stewards department.
“MV Pamba is 100 percent complete, but to have it certified and allow it on the water, the crew must be in place possibly by the end of January. Staff recruitment is currently on going,” she said in a weekend telephone interview.

An estimated Shs18b was budgeted for repairing the MV Pamba that has a 22 wagons-carriage capacity.

Government U-turn 

Inside sources told this publication that Mango Tree Group was to repair and then manage the vessel to recover its investment before government later made a U-turn asking the firm to surrender the vessel as they look for funds to pay for the repair costs.

“Considering the current circumstances I doubt government has money to give us,” Mango Tree Group chairperson Mr Fan Shuchun said on Monday as he urged “government maintain the earlier agreement.”
Mango Tree Group is already managing vessels on Lake Tanganyika, River Congo and on the Nile in South Sudan.

Asked to comment on the said agreement between government and Mango Tree Group, Ms Kataike said she was “not privy to the matter and needed more time to consult her superiors.”

Water transport on Lake Victoria suffered a setback in 2005 after MV Kabalega collided with MV Kaawa while transporting goods to and from Tanzania. The latter also collided with MV Pamba.

Although MV Kaawa and MV Pamba have since been rehabilitated, MV Kabalega is still stuck in water between Kuye Island and Bukasa Island in Kalangala District.

Ever since MV Kabalega sank, fishermen in Kalangala have complained that the capsized marine vessel has turned into a death trap as many island dwellers risk being stuck or killed through accidents occasioned by the shipwreck if not removed.