Farmers living around Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale are stranded with their produce because of the hiked transport costs.
Farmers from the seven sub counties surrounding Lake Bunyonyi use boats to connect to Harutindo market, which operates on Friday.
The farmers say that they can no longer afford the costs of transporting their merchandise to Harutindo market because of hiked boat fares. John Byamukama, one of the affected farmers from Butanda Sub County says that they have been hit by the high transport costs.
Byamukama says that the transport cost has more than doubled from shillings 3000 to shillings 7500. He says that the transport fare is exorbitant and many farmers can not afford it. Jack Katarishangwa, a resident from Bufundi sub-county says they are now stuck because boats are the only means of transport to his area.
Katarishangwa says that all roads in the area are impassable because most of the bridges were swept away as a result of a heavy down pour.
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In March this year President Yoweri Museveni promised to work on the seven Kilometer road stretch from Rwakaraba in Kabale town to Lake Bunyonyi. But Katarishangwa says the president’s pledge will not help residents but tourists only.
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Farmers want Kabale district to construct a road connecting the seven sub counties.
Joseph Mayiira Mukasa, Kabale chief administrative officer says that it is impossible for the district to construct a road across the lake. Bunyonyi is 25kms long and 7 Kilometers. Kabale district collects more than shillings 30 million as revenue from Lake Bunyonyi.
