By Umaru Kashaka
Legislators heard on Tuesday, July 12, that Mahathi Infra Uganda Limited, which is part-owned by Capt. Mike Mukula, is ready to transport fuel on Lake Victoria.
The company is a local subsidiary of the India-based Mahathi Infra Services Private Ltd.
Energy state minister Sidronious Okaasai told the House chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa that the firm has been developing a system to transport fuel over Lake Victoria by barges.
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of bulk goods.
Okaasai reported that the firm is ready to transport fuel after completing the construction of 72-million-litre-capacity storage facilities and the assembling of the first barge with a 4.5-million-litre capacity.
“Other than tarmacking of the 4km Kawuku (off Kampala – Entebbe road)-Bwerenga Road to the storage facilities, the key challenge to operationalise this project is finalisation of the oil spill and shipboard pollution emergency plans, Okaasai said.
“We hope that this impediment will be resolved by July 15, 2022, thereby buttressing the country’s preparedness in case of any supply disruptions during Kenya’s electioneering period, given that the barge can make two round trips per week,” added the minister.
Kenyans will go to the polls on August 9 to elect a new president that will succeed Uhuru Kenyatta, who is stepping down after reaching the constitutional limit of two terms in office.
