UWA Finally Allows Buses to Pass Through Murchison Falls National Park
Passengers at Nile Star Bus terminal in Arua on Monday -Photo Credit_Andrew Cohen Amvesi
ARUA. The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has finally revised the transit guidelines for buses through Murchison Falls National Park as earlier demanded by travelers and bus owners in Northern Uganda.
In the guideline issued today, Wednesday, September 25, 2024, UWA has allowed buses to transit via the Kichumbanyobo – Tangi route for the duration of the three months effective immediately until December 31, 2024.
“In response to the temporary closure of Karuma Bridge and based on valuable feedback from key stakeholders, Uganda Wildlife Authority has revised the previously issued transit guidelines for motorists using alternative routes through Murchison Falls National Park,” the UWA letter read in part.
“Recognizing the need for increased accessibility during this period, UWA has made a temporary exception to permit buses to transit via the Kichumbanyobo – Tangi route for the duration of the three months effective immediately until December 31, 2024,” UWA directed in the letter.
According to UWA, the changes aim at providing greater convenience to travelers while upholding the integrity of the park.
However, UWA observed that all buses transiting through Murchison Falls National Park must continue to adhere to the operating guidelines among which is to maintain their speed limit at 40km/hr within the park and travel between 7:00am and 6:00pm.
On Monday, September 23, 2024, travelers and bus owners complained bitterly of the poor state of the alternative Buliisa -Masindi Road, saying it was long, bad and tiresome.
“The road through Murchison Falls National Park is nearer compared to the road we used today. We passed via Kinyara – some shortcuts, the roads are bad and as a result, I arrived very tired. I don’t understand how people are going to move through that road because it is really not comfortable,” Azira Aseru, a bus passenger said on arrival to Arua on Monday, the first day of official closure of Karuma Bridge.
Aseru appealed to the government to allow buses to continue traveling through the Murchison Falls National Park in order to save passengers from the suffering they have been subjected to.
Benson Oguta, the Nile Star bus driver, shared the same experience, saying that the road they have been diverted to via Buliisa is very far and bad.
He noted that from Masindi to Biso, there are more diversions made through forests, farms and people’s homes.
Oguta feared that if the government doesn’t consider taking them back to the normal route through the Murchison Falls National Park, the Buliisa road is going to break their buses and also cause dangerous accidents in the near future.
Abdullatif Juma Atiku, the Manager of Nile Star Bus Company Arua branch, said the challenges expressed by their drivers and other bus crews including the passengers on the state of Buliisa-Masindi Road will obviously cost management a lot of money in terms of repairs and fuel.
It is for this outcry and more that UWA bowed to pressure to revise the transit guidelines for buses through the Murchison Falls National Park.