By Robert Segawa
There was a low turn up today as government started registering boats and other vessels on Ugandan water bodies.
According to James Mawa an official in charge of boat registration from the Ministry of works, the exercise that started at Port Bell in Luzira saw only a few boats and vessels registered adding that a number of them were still in the waters making it difficult for them to register them.
He said that they will be waiting for the vessels to return and they have them registered before relocating to another landing site.
According to the commissioner in charge of marine administration at the ministry of works George Muhinda says the boat counting, and registering exercise will start with 50 landing sites out of 180 known landing sites situated on L.Victoria.
Muhinda says the move is intended to protect people who use water transport in all water bodies across the country.
He added that registration will take place in Kasenyi landing site, Entebbe Wakiso district, Gaba landing site, Bukakata landing site in Masaka, and other parts of Jinja, Mayuge, Nakasongola among other parts.
According to James Mawa from the works ministry,they will be looking at the vessels' worthiness to travel in water in a bid to ensure safety.
He added that they would try to establish the number of vessels before being licensed later.
The move follows President Museveni's order to register all boats, and vessels on Uganda lakes following the November boat accident on L.Victoria that left over 30 revelers died.