President Yoweri Museveni, ever the enthusiast for grand projects, has officially launched Lake Victoria Logistics, a facility that promises to transform fuel transportation in Uganda. It’s as if someone finally decided to give Ugandan fuel logistics the same treatment that a chef gives a prized goat before the village feast.
On July 18, Museveni inaugurated the Lake Victoria fuel transportation and storage facility located in Kawuku on the shores of Lake Victoria. This project, which began life as Mahathi Infra Uganda back in 2015, aims to reduce the cost of moving fuel from Kenya to Uganda.
Dr. Steve Mainda, the Chairman of the Board, and his team are hoping to solve Uganda’s fuel transport inefficiencies with their new toys—two state-of-the-art tank ships each capable of carrying 4.5 million liters of fuel.
From Ground Transport to Lake Transport
The newly unveiled facility features a 256-meter-long jetty and 14 massive storage tanks with a combined capacity of 70 million liters. In Ugandan terms, that’s like having a giant pit latrine that can hold enough waste for a year-long village gathering. The project is also set to cut down on road congestion and maintenance costs, similar to clearing the village road from potholes and cow dung.
Here’s a snapshot of how the new logistics facility compares to the old road-based system:
| Aspect | Old System | New Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Transport Method | Road | Lake (by tank ships) |
| Capacity | Limited to road tankers | 70 million liters in storage tanks |
| Efficiency | Road congestion, high costs | Reduced congestion, lower costs |
| Maintenance | High road maintenance costs | Lower maintenance with lake transport |
President Museveni expressed his happiness with the launch, though he admitted that he wasn’t provided with specific figures on how much cheaper fuel transport has become. It’s as if someone had shown him a shiny new toy and told him it’s better without giving the full specs. He remarked that entering the Ugandan market opens doors to other regional markets like DR Congo, South Sudan, and Rwanda, implying that this is a goldmine for investors.
Museveni took the opportunity to boast about the National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) economic strategy. He explained that while traffic jams might seem annoying, they are actually a sign of a thriving economy—similar to how a crowded local market signals prosperity rather than poverty. The President also spoke about the need for rationalizing the transport system, like making sure the local market stalls are well organized and not just a chaotic free for all.
Minister of Works and Transport, Gen. Katumba Wamala, chimed in with promises that the new facility would help cut fuel transportation costs and reduce road accidents. He assured that the new vessels are safe, much like reassuring villagers about the safety of new equipment before a big feast.
Technical Training and Future Investments
Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Ruth Nankabirwa, praised the training provided to Ugandans working on the project, comparing it to the way elders in the village pass down skills to the younger generation. Dr. Mainda highlighted that Lake Victoria Logistics is set to address long-standing inefficiencies in fuel transport, hoping to make road congestion and high costs a thing of the past.
With a vision to transport up to 180 million liters of fuel monthly once two more ships are added, Lake Victoria Logistics is set to make a major impact. The project’s success could make fuel logistics as smooth as a well-tuned drum at a local celebration.
