Panic as MV NODL-Victoria gets stuck on Lake Victoria

Posted On: May 28, 2023
Posted By: Gateway News
Comments: 2

There was panic on Sunday 28th May at around 11: 30am when a boat, MV NODL-Victoria that was en route to Entebbe from Masaka broke down on Lake Victoria.

The vessel was making its morning voyage with 96 passengers on board from Bukakata to Port Alice, Nakiwogo.

Whereas MV NODL-Victoria normally uses three to four hours to move between Bukakata and Nakiwogo, this time around it was in transit for over seven hours.

According to Suzan Nalusiba one of the passengers, the incidence happened two hours into the trip after water entered into the vessel.

She therefore appealed to the government to speed up the rebuild of the Kampala-Masaka highway at the Katonga bridge so that Ugandans who are not used to travel on water gat back to their usual route.

*Uganda Police Marine team on the boat monitoring the vessel as it was moving to Nakiwogo, Entebbe after the incidence.*

James Mukasa one of the vessel captains explained that the anomaly came in after the waves forcing water into the vessel when they had just reached at Kachanga on their way to Nakiwogo, Entebbe.

“We faced heavy winds that were moving along with the heavy waves pushing water above the vessel and in doing so water was forced to enter into the vessel but we managed to pump water out and it stabilized,” he added.

Andrew Wamala who was also on board appreciated the rescue team for having immediately responded to their distress calls including the Marine police professionals, Brovad team as well as the MV NODL-Express vessel that enabled the ferry to dock at Nakiwogo without casualties.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of both Nation Oil Distributors Limited (NODL) highlighted that all passengers on the vessel arrived safely and there should not be any reason to worry.

ACP Denis Kamugisha the Uganda Police Marine commander Entebbe zone confirmed no body was hurt in this incidence as the vessel also successfully docked at Nakiwogo.

MV NODL-Victoria is a luxury catamaran cruise vessel owned NODL– the same company that mans government owned vessel-MV Kalangala.

The vessel was set up by the government as an alternative route to Masaka district after the collapse of the Katonga bridge on the Kampala-Masaka due to heavy rains few weeks ago.