Fishermen at Kamuwunga Landing Site in Kalungu District have urged the government to scale up the innovative water-hyacinth electricity generation project to additional landing sites, saying the initiative is already transforming livelihoods and should benefit all fishing communities affected by the invasive weed.
Fishing remains a major pillar of Uganda’s economy, contributing significantly to household incomes, employment, and national revenue.
However, the rapid spread of water hyacinth across major lakes—Victoria, Kyoga, and Albert—has disrupted fishing activities, threatened aquatic biodiversity, and hindered transport and tourism.
To address the crisis, the Government of Egypt partnered with Uganda to pioneer technology that converts water hyacinth into usable electricity and other by-products.
The project aims to turn the destructive weed into a resource that promotes both environmental sustainability and economic development.
A delegation from the Egyptian Government, led by Mahmoud Hamdalla, head of the Irrigation Mission in Uganda, visited Kamuwunga Landing Site to assess progress on the development of the landing site and the hyacinth-to-energy project. They were accompanied by Ugandan technical officials and local leaders.
Richard Mangeni, a fisheries expert, highlighted the heavy toll water hyacinth has taken on the fisheries sector and the economy.
He noted that the Uganda–Egypt partnership is designed to convert the weed into energy, fertilizers, and other useful products, with plans to extend the project to six landing sites across Lakes Kyoga, Albert, and Victoria.
Residents at Kamuwunga shared experiences of how water hyacinth previously blocked fishing routes, damaged boat engines, and depleted fish breeding grounds, pushing families deeper into poverty.
They said the new project, though in its early stages, has already started producing electricity and other resources that improve household welfare and business opportunities.
The fishermen appealed to the government to expand the initiative, arguing that fishing communities across the region face similar challenges and should equally benefit from this technological breakthrough.
Eng. Mahmoud Hamdalla praised Uganda for embracing the joint initiative, emphasizing the project’s dual benefits: “
This intervention is not only improving the welfare of fishing communities but also protecting the environment and reducing health hazards caused by the hyacinth.”
Dr. Mohamed Abdallatif, head of Egypt’s Channel Maintenance Research Institute, described the project as a key pillar of the long-standing cooperation between Egypt and Uganda, transforming a major threat into an economic asset.
“The water hyacinth is no longer a burden. Through this project, it is being converted into electricity and other valuable products that are boosting incomes and strengthening community resilience,” he said.
Local leaders expressed optimism that, once fully implemented, the hyacinth-to-energy project will restore fishing productivity, stabilize lake ecosystems, and unlock new opportunities for rural communities.
For the fishermen at Kamuwunga, the message is clear: the project is a lifeline, and they want it extended to all lakeshore communities across Uganda.