By KT Reporter
The Ministry of Works and Transport has launched consultations to draft the long-awaited regulations that will operationalise Uganda’s Inland Water Transport Act.
The new rules are expected to address licensing, vessel standards, and enforcement measures to curb the frequent but often under-reported marine accidents on Ugandan waters.
“We are gathering issues the regulations must address,” said Brian Musinguzi, a surveying engineer at the Ministry of Works and Transport, during a community engagement at Katosi Landing Site on Lake Victoria. Currently, we issue two licences: a one-off registration licence after a boat is constructed, starting at Shs200,000, and an operator’s licence for transporting people and cargo, charged according to a vessel’s weight.”
Musinguzi added that views from landing sites such as Katosi and Butiaba will be consolidated into a draft regulation for government approval. “To enforce the law well, marine police must also understand it,” he noted.
Civil society organisations working with the government say the regulation will breathe life into the Inland Water Transport Act.
“The regulation will clarify who is allowed to operate, what safety equipment is mandatory, and how enforcement should work,” explained Fredrick Kiapi, project manager at Safe Transport and Survivors Support Uganda (STASSU). “We are consulting fishers, boat owners, builders, and passengers so that the final regulation reflects realities on the water.”
According to Kiapi, the draft is expected to harmonise fees, set minimum equipment standards such as approved life jackets and life rings, provide for vessel registration and inspection, and introduce operator training. Marine police will also be given clearer mandates to investigate and report accidents, many of which currently go unrecorded.
However, boat operators say multiple and overlapping taxes weigh them down.
“We pay the operator licence, then local taxes at the sub-county, and charges at docking points. It adds up,” said Samuel Ssekaku, secretary for boat operators at Katosi.
Miliko Muyijje, a local operator known as Kojja Miliko, outlined the costs: “I pay Shs450,000 to the Works ministry, Shs250,000 to Fisheries, Shs30,000 per month at Katosi Sub-County, and another Shs30,000 at Kkoome. Tender holders at docking points also charge us. The more sub-counties you pass through, the more charges you face.”
He added that safety gear remains beyond reach. “Most of us can only afford cheap life jackets at about Shs40,000, which cannot keep someone afloat for more than ten minutes. Quality engines are too expensive, and many boats cannot afford to carry two engines as a backup. When one fails, passengers are stranded on the lake.”
Jesca Namubiru, a boat owner, echoed the concern: “Marine police enforce compliance strictly, but life jackets, engines, and nets are unaffordable. Lowering taxes would make safety possible for everyone.”
Boat builders also face challenges. Edirisa Wamala, a boat maker at Katosi, said timber scarcity and import costs have pushed prices out of reach.
“Timber from Congo arrives with Shs220,000 already paid per piece, and central timber is even scarcer. A standard boat requires materials worth about Shs4.5 million. With labour and local taxes, we must quote around Shs8 million, which most clients cannot afford.”
Community members and transport associations have proposed solutions for inclusion in the regulation.
These include tax relief on essential items like engines and life jackets, streamlined local charges, a safety upgrade fund or credit facility for operators, stabilised timber supply, and phased compliance to help small operators adjust.
They also suggested community-led safety initiatives such as mandatory safety briefings on board, visible passenger limits, and reporting hotlines at landing sites.
Musinguzi confirmed that all stakeholder views will be consolidated into a draft for internal review before government approval.
Civil society actors like STASSU believe the regulation will finally make Uganda’s water transport safer and better organised.
For operators like Namubiru, however, the key will be affordability: “We want to comply, but we need rules and prices we can live with.”
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