A history of Transport system in Buliisa District
By Kiiza Wilson, Bugungu Heritage and Information Centre, Buliisa
Bugungu nation despite having natural transport barriers such as the water bodies (Lake Albert and Albert Nile) and the escarpment, Bagungu people found a way of taming nature so that, they could interact with her neighbors. Bagungu crafted dugout canoes to allow them cross the water bodies and to fish and for a long time, they walked long distances to interact with her neighbors who lived above the escarpment mostly to trade fish and cattle for other commodities. During trekking, they ensured that, steeps were dodged and due to the presence of the wild animals, caravans were the most preferred way of walking as they assumed that, security lied in the numbers. The trekking increased when Bagungu were evacuated to Kitana/Kigorobya in the early 1900s due to the sleeping sickness epidemic as those who returned to Bugungu in 1920s when the place was declared safe trekked to and from to see their relatives who had chosen to remain in Kitana and those in Kitana did the same thing. Even before colonialism set in, Lake Albert locally known as Mwitanzige and called by Sir Samuel Baker Nyanza Albert was already playing a big role to the foreigners as it connected them to such areas as the Indian ocean from where they were connected to the outside world. During the times of Emin Pasha, there were two steamers on the lake that is Khedive and Nyanza which were said to have been well maintained and these were mainly used for transporting troops, goods and mails through Dufile, Magungu, Kibiro, Mswa and Mahagi; citing the excerpts from the Acholi History, 1860–1901; Uganda Journal of 1956, it is stated, “on 2 January 1886 Dr. Junker set off from Wedelai in the Khedive for the long trek which was to take him to Zanzibar and Europe and she brought from Kibiro the mails and goods which began to reach Emin (Pasha, brackets are mine) through Uganda. It was the Khedive which in January 1888 rescued Casati, escaping from Bunyoro in desperate straits, from the shore near Ndandamire” it is said that, Casati had offended Omukama Kabarega of Bunyoro Kingdom due to the former’s undiplomatic behaviours. The early explorers like Stanley reached Bugungu by water and being paddled by the locals in the dugout canoes on their way to find the source of River Nile. When colonialism set in in 1894, there was development of infrastructure like roads and ports. In 1907–1908, captain (later Major-General) A.G. Stevenson, RE carried out a survey of alternative railway routes to Lake Albert one leading to Butiaba and another to the southern end of the lake. However, it is reported that, due to financial constraints, no railway route was constructed until later when the former route was preferred. However, the above did not mean the end of Butiaba as a transport hub as evidenced by the fact that, by 1927, a seaplane base had been established there and many of the pioneer aviators landed there, amongst who was Sir Alan Cobmann. In March 1931, Butiaba was a landing and fueling station, in 1934 a floating dock was established at Butiaba. And in 1953 the public works department began Hoima-Biiso road but it is reported that, there was a delay when Waki bridge collapsed. The motorable road connecting to Bukumi was constructed in 1914, however, it was after many years later that, the road was extended from Bukumi to Wanseko and this was mainly to ease the transportation of fish from Bugungu to those areas above the escarpment as the local market for fish was small and Waiga bridge was completed in 1958 and it was worked on by Engineer Wairindi, Munyoro and a resident of Bujeje who was the Bunyoro Kingdom Engineer. The road that played similar role was that between Masindi and Paraa that was constructed in late 1955. However, the road did not become an all-weather road as it was planned to be as it was destroyed by rains a few years later but maintenance lessened the situation the most remembered maintenance being that of 1956. To date, it still relies on routine maintenance to make it motorable during the rainy season. What you reading this should know is that, just like the colonialists built roads for commercial purposes, the discovery of oil and gas in Buliisa is going to cause thee road to the area get tarmacked. In fact, the road is being funded under what the government has called critical oil roads.
Butiaba is one area in Bugungu that is so prominent due to its historical importance in the transport sector mostly during the colonial period this was due to its strategic location having been an inland port/harbour during colonial times until 1962 floods which made it hard for the steamers to anchor. Two prominent ships anchored at Butiaba, namely, MV Albert and MV Corydon these streamers were important in carrying people and products from as far as Nimule and to Congo where the demand for food for labourers was high at Kilo-Moto mines. To cross to Congo, people used canoes, they paddled them and when steamers set in, many people used to ferry their fish from other landing sites on Lake Albert to Butiaba by canoes for it to be taken to Kasenyi or Mahagi ports by the steamer. Prominence of Butiaba saw the beginning of vehicles in the area that was used to transport both goods and humans. At first, many people settled for walking as they could not afford the transport fare. Today, dilapidated buildings of East African Railways Corporation are the only reminders of the role Butiaba played in the past.
A ferry connecting Buliisa to West Nile was established in Buliisa in 1990s by the government of Uganda, it anchors at Wanseko and in West Nile, it anchors at Panyimur. The ferry carries human and goods at no cost. However, its operation was suspended due to the shallow water levels in March, 2017. Engine boats are currently used as the main transport means for both passengers and commodities mostly fish to access the West Nile and Democratic Republic of Congo markets through Panyimur market which takes place on Mondays every week.
The first vehicles in Bugungu
The first vehicles to grace Bugungu were those owned by the Indian traders who were stationed in Buliisa. However, when time went on, Bagungu such as Dison Kitale Muranzi by clan became the first Mugungu to own a car and later on, Kagoro Muhukwa and Naboth Wandera also bought vehicles. Ruth Dindo became the first Mugungu woman to own one . And currently, many other Bagungu have bought vehicles and motorcycles.
References
1. A.R. Dunbar, 1965, A history of Bunyoro Kitara, Oxford University Press, Nairobi.
2. D.A. Cadwalladr and J. Stoneman, 1968, The siting and relative importance of the fish landings of Lake Albert, The Uganda Journal Volume 32 Part 1 1968.
3. Kuruhira Godfrey Metuseera Ajuna Akiiki, 2014, Tribute to Bugungu, Land of Bagungu, St. Joseph’s Printery- Kitovu Masaka.
4. Personal communication with Adrian.J. Browne, 09th January, 2018
5. Personal communication with Blasio .B. Mugasa, 2nd January, 2018
6. Personal communication with Kuruhira Godfrey Metuseera Ajuna Akiiki, 25th December, 2017
7. Professor S.J.K. Baker, September 1954, Bunyoro: A regional Appreciation, The Uganda Journal volume 18. №2
Contacts
Email: kiizawilson@gmail.com
Tel: +256 757725763
Twitter: @kiiza26
Facebook: Bugungu Heritage and Information Centre
