Inclination test for MV Uhuru 2 signals launch of first ever ship constructed in Kenya
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta (right) at Kisumu Port where he went to commission the Kisumu Shipyard and inspect the floatation of the newly built MV Uhuru II on August 2, 2022. MV Uhuru II, the first ship to be built in Kenya from scratch, will be officially launched next month.
With an inclination test for the MV Uhuru II on course, its first voyage on Lake Victoria may soon be realised as soon as next month, a move viewed as good news to transporters of fuel to neighbouring East Africa counties.
The inclination is a test that is performed to determine a water vessel’s stability, lightship weight and coordinates of its centre of gravity.
MV Uhuru II, the first ship to be built in Kenya from scratch, is slated to be officially launched next month.
On Tuesday, the water vessel underwent the inclination test conducted by the Kenya Shipyard Limited on Lake Victoria waters.
“MV Uhuru II inclination test was conducted today at Kisumu Shipyard ahead of the official launch,” reads a Twitter post by Kenya Shipyards Limited shared on Tuesday evening.
Once complete, the construction of the Sh2.4 billion ship will make Kenya the pioneer of shipbuilding in Africa.
The vessel has been constructed and assembled locally saving Kenyan taxpayers Sh1.3 billion, an amount that would have been spent on importations.
MV Uhuru II, with a capacity of 1,800 tons, was built at the Kenya Ship Yard by Kenyan agencies, including the Kenya Defense Forces, in partnership with a Dutch firm, Damen Shipyards.
The ship is expected to complement the MV Uhuru I which had a capacity of 1260 tons and was delivered in Kenya in 1966 by a Scottish company.
During a previous function, the Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo had hinted that President William Ruto will be present to officiate the launch of the vessel.
“Construction of the water vessel is part of the government’s plan to revive maritime trade and promote blue economy activities in Lake Victoria,” said PS Omollo, adding that the ship was almost complete.
On August 2, 2022, former President Uhuru Kenyatta visited the Kisumu Port to oversee the floatation of the ship while also commissioning the shipyard.
The 100-meter vessel with a capacity of two million liters of crude oil per trip, can comfortably carry 22 wagons across the lake.
According to the Kenya Shipyard Managing Director Brigadier Paul Otieno Owuor, the ship can sail to the neighbouring Uganda and Tanzania within 10 hours.
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The load capacity is slightly higher than that of MV Uhuru I which has a capacity of 1.1 million liters and a speed capable of traveling to Port Bell Uganda in 17 hours.
Apart from opening more opportunities for export, the facility is also expected to present the locals with job opportunities.
Brigadier Omollo indicated that they are in the process of bringing in more capabilities to the port to ensure a secure and safe environment in terms of exploiting the lake. They are already in discussions with the Kenya Coast Guards, Uganda Defense Forces and their counterparts in Tanzania to allow them have a clear picture of what is happening in the lake.
In April this year, the Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir revealed that Kenya is planning to build three more ships in an effort to expand cargo export to Uganda in its bid to realize the full potential of the Sh2 billion Kisumu Oil Jetty project.
As of May 6, 2023, only 20 million liters of petroleum products had been exported to Uganda via the port while the CS said that the facility had the capacity to transport a higher amount of consignments.
Mr Chirchir said that since its launch, the transportation ship has been making a single trip per week to Mahathi Terminal in Entebbe which is way below expectations.
According to the CS, it has only done five shipments using the facility since January. However, there is still a lot of tracking by road because the facility’s capability is yet to be increased.
