The Minister of State for Works, Hon. Musa Echweru, Commissioned the MV Mpungu on the 21st of February, 2024.
The Name Mpungu is a luganda word meaning Eagle which the Minister said was befitting of the large water vessel.
The ship is a 96-meter-long roll-on roll-off freight vessel that will be operating on Lake Victoria. She will be docking at Port Bell in Uganda and operating to Mwanza in Tanzania and Kisumu in Kenya. She will be docking at Port Bell in Uganda and operating to Mwanza in Tanzania and Kisumu in Kenya.
The vessel has the capacity to carry up to 21 cargo trucks. The ship will make its maiden voyage in April this year and will see trade links between Uganda and neighboring Tanzania greatly strengthened.
In comparison to the three to four days of road transport from Uganda's Capital Kampala to Kwanza, the southern edge of the lake in Tanzania, the MV Mpungu will take just 18 hours.