The business community operating through the Akampala and Kagwara landing sites on Lake Kyoga is grappling with transport challenges, barely five months after the commissioning of the Bukungu–Kagwara–Kaberamaido (BKK) ferry project.
Although the ferry was introduced to improve connectivity and boost trade across Buyende, Kaberamaido and Serere districts, traders say its limited operating schedule has failed to meet their transport needs, forcing many to continue relying on smaller and less reliable, motorized boats. On February 20, 2026, the Ministry of Works and Transport commissioned the 41 billion-Shilling ferry projects comprising two vessels—MV BKK I and MV BKK II—each with a capacity to carry 310 passengers.
However, only one ferry is currently operational, making a single daily circuit between Bukungu, Akampala and Kagwara. Traders say the arrangement has caused costly delays and disrupted business. Stephen Acol, a produce dealer, welcomed the introduction of the ferry but said its current timetable is hurting rather than helping local businesses.
“The ferry leaves Bukungu at 9:00 a.m. and arrives at Akampala at 10:00 a.m. It then heads to Kagwara at 11:00 a.m., returns to Akampala at 2:00 p.m. before departing for Bukungu at 3:00 p.m., arriving there at around 5:00 p.m. This limited schedule forces traders to spend more time than necessary in Bukungu,” Acol said.
He explained that traders travelling to Buyende and Kampala are often compelled to spend two nights in Bukungu because of the current ferry timetable. “If you plan to attend the weekly market in Buyende, you have to leave a day early, spend the night in Bukungu, attend the market the following day, and then spend another night before returning home,” he said.
Acol added that repeated appeals by traders, local leaders and ministry officials to revise the ferry routes and docking schedules have yielded little progress. “We have voiced our concerns, but the ferry continues to serve mainly traders crossing from Buyende to Teso, leaving us at a disadvantage,” he said.
John Stephen Opolot, a livestock dealer, said the ferry was introduced to improve transportation across Lake Kyoga and reduce the dangers associated with using small, motorized boats.
“When officials from the Ministry of Works and Transport visited the landing sites, they witnessed the transport challenges and the loss of lives associated with using boat engines. However, they did not adequately consider the routes when designing the ferry programme. We buy goods here but often get stranded because of the unfavourable ferry schedule,” Opolot said.
He alleged that since the ferry service began, he has lost more than eight pigs because there are no holding facilities for livestock while waiting for the ferry. “I always arrive with my animals well before departure, but because there are no holding grounds, they remain exposed to the scorching sun. Some have died from excessive heat. If departures were scheduled earlier in the morning, these losses would be greatly reduced,” he said.
Godfrey Alibu, a wholesaler in Ochero Sub-county, said the ferry would better serve traders if it spent the night at Akampala and departed early every morning. “Most of the time the ferry arrives from Bukungu almost empty, while more than 50 traders are waiting at Akampala with goods. They cannot cross until evening under the current schedule,” Alibu said. He added that the current timetable significantly increases transport costs.
“Whenever I travel to Kampala to purchase goods, I have to budget for two overnight stays because of the ferry schedule. A journey that should take one day now costs me more than UGX 150,000 in additional expenses. The distance is short enough for someone to travel in the morning and return the same day if the routes were adjusted,” he said.
One of the ferry operators, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media, acknowledged the traders’ concerns. “We have forwarded their complaints to our supervisors, and they have quietly visited to assess the situation. We sympathize with the traders because they are trying to support their families but are instead incurring losses. Unfortunately, we have no authority to adjust the ferry schedule without instructions from the ministry,” the operator said.
Susan Kataike, the Principal Communications Officer at the Ministry of Works and Transport, said the ministry is aware of the concerns but is constrained by limited funding. “Introducing additional routes requires more resources. Because of budget limitations, we are currently operating only one trip each day as we await additional government funding,” Kataike said.
She added that the ministry plans to commission a second ferry by September this year to improve services and introduce more routes. “As you can see, even the docking facilities are not yet fully completed. We started operating the ferry because of the urgent transport needs while awaiting additional resources to complete the infrastructure. We hope to introduce another ferry by September to ease the transport burden,” she said.
If the ferry routes are redesigned to better serve Akampala and Kagwara, traders believe the service would improve connectivity for Kaberamaido, Dokolo, Lira, Alebtong, Gulu, Kalaki, Kole, Serere, Ngora, Soroti and Kumi districts. They say improved ferry operations would reduce transport costs, shorten travel time, and provide a safer and more reliable means of transporting produce and livestock to Kampala and other major markets-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
