The Government of Uganda has invested Sh3 billion in the rehabilitation of MV Kaawa, one of the country’s key cargo vessels, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen inland water transport and promote regional trade across Lake Victoria.
The works, now at 95% completion, are being carried out by SECO Marine, a Ugandan firm specializing in marine transport infrastructure, under the supervision of the Uganda Railways Corporation (URC).
According to URC spokesperson John Lennon Sengendo, the rehabilitation began on November 20, 2024, and includes extensive steel works, painting, machinery and propulsion system repairs, navigation equipment replacement, and overhaul of the portside engine and fuel injection system of the starboard engine.
When MV Kaawa resumes operations, it will transport Uganda’s exports such as timber, iron sheets, cosmetics, tyres, spirits and wines, human medicine, and electric poles to regional destinations. On its return trips, the vessel will bring in rice, animal feeds, wheat, iron sheets, and general merchandise.
Sengendo said the project forms part of the corporation’s routine vessel maintenance programme aimed at ensuring the seaworthiness of Uganda’s marine fleet.
Once complete, the vessel will provide a cost-effective and environmentally friendly means of transporting cargo between Port Bell in Kampala, Kisumu in Kenya, and Mwanza in Tanzania.
Currently, Uganda operates two cargo vessels, MV Pamba and MV Kaawa, with a combined capacity to carry 1,760 tonnes of cargo per trip. A sea trial exercise for MV Kaawa is scheduled for early November, after which the vessel will be fully redeployed.
While inspecting the ongoing works on Friday at the Port Bell landing site in Luzira, the Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Katumba Wamala, expressed satisfaction with the progress made and commended SECO Marine for its professionalism and quality of work.
“We used to have three vessels, Pamba, Kaawa, and Kabalega. We lost Kabalega and have not yet recovered it, but Pamba is sailing and Kaawa had been grounded,” Katumba said.
“We engaged SECO, a local company, to handle this rehabilitation because we want to maximize Lake Victoria as a model route for imports and exports.”
He explained that several companies, including Roofings Uganda Ltd, are already using the water route to Mwanza and Kisumu, a sign of its potential to ease trade within the region.
“Our feeling is that in the future, once we have reliable vessels, we could even move most of the fuel tankers off the roads and transport fuel by water, which is far safer and cheaper,” he said.
The minister noted that the works had reached about 90 percent and only minor fittings remained.
“By November 8, SECO will conduct the sea trial to confirm that the repairs meet the vessel’s operational requirements,” he said, thanking both SECO and URC for advancing the project.
“SECO built the big vessel called Impungu, so we have no doubt about their capability,” Katumba added. “I also commend the URC leadership for recognizing the benefit of returning these vessels to the waters, as this supports our multimodal transport system. The wagons you see behind us would take a lot of cargo off the road if they arrive by this vessel and are then railed directly into Kampala. I call upon importers and exporters to seize this opportunity to reduce their transport costs.”
Benon M. Kajuna, the Managing Director of URC, said the inspection marked a milestone in the corporation’s wider transformation agenda.
“This is a very good development for URC and for the Government of Uganda because by next month the rehabilitation will be completed.”
He explained that once deployed, MV Kaawa will resume movement of cargo between Port Bell and Mwanza, providing exporters, especially Roofings, with a reliable and low-cost trade route.
“As you are aware, we are promoting multimodal transport, and water transport remains the cheapest mode in the region,” Kajuna said. “Once this vessel is done, it will also help evacuate cargo from Mwanza up to Port Bell.”
Kajuna called upon the business community to use URC’s services, emphasizing that the corporation is the largest mover of cargo in the region and is collaborating closely with Tanzania Railways Corporation and Kenya Railways Corporation to ensure goods reach the borders and ports of Dar es Salaam and Mombasa efficiently.
“We had concerns from customers because our water transport capacity had reduced. We only had MV Kaawa and MV Impungu, which are very few. But with this rehabilitation, we shall now have moderate capacity to move enough cargo on the lake,” he said.
He also reaffirmed URC’s commitment to promoting the Central Corridor, describing it as “a corridor of choice for Ugandans because it offers the cheapest route from Dar es Salaam to Uganda’s hinterland.”
The Government of Uganda is simultaneously investing in several railway and marine projects to restore URC’s operational capacity and improve efficiency across the transport sector.
According to URC, USD 298 million (about Sh1.043 trillion) has been secured to finance multiple projects, including the rehabilitation of the Tororo–Gulu railway line and the East African Community Railway Rehabilitation Support Project.
The Tororo–Gulu line rehabilitation began on July 20, 2023, and as of October 2025, more than 60 percent of the works are complete. The section between Tororo and Kumi has already been handed over to URC.
Key activities include earthworks, drainage improvements, track laying, ballasting, tamping, and leveling. At Awoja Swamp, where the line had previously been washed away, large culverts have been installed to allow smooth water flow and protect both the environment and the railway line.
Under the EAC Railway Rehabilitation Support Project, the government plans to construct the Kampala–Kyengera and Port Bell lines fitted with concrete sleepers for greater efficiency. These lines will serve both passenger and cargo transporters.
The project also provides for the purchase of 10 new locomotives, each capable of hauling 1,200 tonnes of cargo per trip, and 100 wagons. Passenger facilities will be upgraded with new Park and Ride stations at Namanve and Kyengera, alongside halts at Kireka, Namboole, and other points. Once complete, URC targets to transport over 190,000 passengers daily, equivalent to 4.5 million passengers monthly.
To enhance safety, all level crossings in the Kampala Metropolitan Area will be automated to alert road users ahead of approaching trains. Station refurbishments are also planned for Kampala, Mukono, Kawolo, Lubanyi, Jinja, Iganga, Busembatia, Nagongera, and Tororo, while Port Bell and Jinja pier infrastructures will be reconstructed to close existing capacity gaps.
The project will also finance the construction of one new multipurpose cargo vessel capable of carrying containers, wagons, and loose cargo, alongside a service tugboat to strengthen operations on Lake Victoria. This is expected to raise URC’s marine transport capacity from 880 tonnes per route to about 1,500 tonnes per route.
Funds have also been set aside to restock spare parts required for maintaining locomotives and wagons, ensuring sustained service reliability.
