Boat operators and tourism players on Lake Bunyonyi want the government to lower proposed boat registration and licensing fees, the Nile Post reported. They warn that the charges could force operators out of business. They also say the fees could make water transport more expensive for local communities.
The Ministry of Works and Transport is preparing to enforce the Inland Water Transport Act, 2021. The law requires all boats to be registered and to meet safety standards. Boats must carry life jackets and operate from gazetted landing sites. Offenders face fines of up to Shs4 million or imprisonment. The ministry says funding problems delayed enforcement. It now has the money to begin nationwide sensitisation before the law takes effect.
Barnabas Twinomujuni, the Acting Principal Marine Licensing Officer, said registration would be valid for five years. Operating licences would need to be renewed every year. Under the proposed rates, passenger boats carrying fewer than 20 people will pay Shs200,000 for registration and annual licensing. Larger passenger boats will pay Shs600,000 to register and Shs350,000 for a licence. Leisure boats will pay Shs500,000 for registration and Shs400,000 for licensing. Cargo boats carrying less than 10 tonnes will pay Shs200,000 and Shs100,000 respectively.
Barnabas Twinomujuni said no boat on Lake Bunyonyi had been registered so far. He blamed overloading, inadequate training and substandard vessels. "About 80 per cent of boat accidents on Ugandan lakes are caused by human error," he said.
Operators say they cannot afford the charges, especially as earnings from tourism and farming decline. Noah Mubangizi, who chairs the Lake Bunyonyi Motorboat Drivers Association, said operators could pass the costs on to passengers through higher fares. He fears some residents could turn to unsafe dugout canoes or swim across the lake. He said some operators have already quit because returns keep falling.
Pality Twinomujuni, director of Hawks Eye Resort, wants the government to distinguish commercial vessels from boats used by local communities. Separate classes, the director argues, would protect livelihoods without hurting tourism. At least 20 people reportedly drown on Lake Bunyonyi every year.