The devastating floods on Lake Albert and other low-lying areas across Uganda have not only forced thousands homeless but also disrupted the tourism industry and oil operations inside Murchison Falls National Park.
Days after the ferry to Paraa Safari Lodge that used to connect Buliisa district with Nwoya district across the Kyoga Nile adjacent to Kabalega Falls suspended its movement over the rising water level.
In an interview with Kazi-njema News, Mr Bashir Hangi, the Spokesperson for Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) said some touristic activities in Murchison Falls are no longer easy to carry on since transport and accommodation infrastructures have been submerged.
Movement of vehicles across the river without a ferry in no longer possible as traveling on engine boats remains risky for the staff and tourists.
Some roads, too, in other conservation areas including Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kidepo National Park are impassable.
The current situation means a lot to Uganda’s leading foreign exchange income earner that was badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic for the whole of last year.
Meanwhile, Kazi-njema News sighted Total E&P Uganda staff that used to move from Bugungu Camp in Buliisa district to Tangi Camp in Nwoya simply via Paraa Safari Lodge across the ferry with their vehicles now being forced to drive via Masindi, Kigumba and Karuma involving extra time, cost and distance of more than 100 kilometres.
A source at Total E&P Uganda said all the restored oil wells inside the National Park are not yet affected and fortunately there were no active operations when floods increased.
Nobody for now has tried to authoritatively anticipate when the flooding will stop and whether the water will reduce to the level before floods started in March last year or will remain where it is.
No tremendous increase of flood water volume has been reported at a couple of landing sites on Lake Albert, according to this website’s reports from its interaction with the affected Lakers who are closely monitoring the situation because their hopes remain on the stability of water than anything else.
Good stories. Keep it up.