The Sh3 billion rehabilitation of the Kisumu inland port has started paying dividends following the start of MV Uhuru 1 wagon ferry operations, which is eyeing the Uganda petroleum trade.
With a capacity to ship over a million litres of fuel to the landlocked country, the historic vessel built in 1966 has rekindled the fortunes of Lake Victoria as a viable transportation route.
Kenya Railways noted that the 17-hour journey from the lakeside city to Port Bell in Uganda has been made easier and safer compared to the use of trucks.
The vessel, which was officially relaunched by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2019 can make up to 10 round trips in a month.
Kenya Railways management in a notice on Tuesday indicated that the vessel which started operating in March 2020 has been successful so far.
To tap into the petroleum products transportation business from Kenya Pipeline Corporation (KPC) depot in Kisumu to Uganda through MV Uhuru, Kenya Railways constructed a new 1.8-kilometre railway line to the KPC depot.
The use of marine transport which ceased for 15 years has greatly reduced the cost of ferrying petroleum products.
“The vessel can carry 22 tank wagons bringing a total of 1,100,000 litres,” the corporation noted on its website.
On the other hand, the Sh2.4 billion MV Uhuru II which is expected to be launched soon has a capacity of 1,800 tonnes and will complement the export of petroleum products to Uganda.
The new vessel was built by Kenyan agencies, including the Kenya Defence Forces, in partnership with Dutch firm Damen Shipyards.
The 100-metre vessel is the first ship to be made in Kenya by Kenyans.
The increase in vessels on Lake Victoria is inspiring players to take up the mode of transport and in turn, stimulate economic activity across the Great Lakes region.
Among other investments, Kenya sank Sh1.9 billion in the construction of the Kisumu oil jetty project to reclaim the lakeside city’s position as the nerve centre of inland maritime transport in East Africa.
The port has also been equipped with forklift trucks, mobile cranes and tractor-trailers ready for imports and exports business.
