NATIONAL
President Yoweri Museveni has directed the Prime Minister, Rt Hon. Robinah Nabbanja to support a private investor seeking to develop a mega international airport at Nyakisharara Government Aerodrome near Mbarara.
In a letter, Museveni said a company identified as Base Seven Company intends to implement a major transport project using Nyakisharara as a nucleus for the construction of a mega international airport.
According to the President, the project is premised on emerging global trade dynamics, particularly increasing commercial links between Latin America, especially Brazil, and China. He noted that current air routes between the two regions are long and uneconomical, passing over the Atlantic, Europe and Asia, taking between 34 and 42 hours.
Museveni said the proposed hub at Nyakisharara would significantly cut travel time. “It takes nine hours from South America to Nyakisharara and 11 hours from Nyakisharara to China,” he noted, adding that aircraft could refuel in Uganda, reducing overall journey time to about 20 hours.
The President said the company will finance the project using its own resources and recover the investment by charging airport users and operating related facilities, including hotels to be constructed on site. The project will be implemented under a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) arrangement, after which it will be handed over to Government upon expiry of an agreed period.
He identified the financiers as Hunan and Black Rock, adding that the operator of the airport will be nominated by the financier.
The proposed development will cover 21 square kilometres of land and will include two runways measuring 5.5 kilometres each. A separate 3.7-kilometre runway will be constructed for VIP use.
The company plans to utilise the existing Government land at the aerodrome and its surroundings, in addition to land to be acquired from neighbouring landowners.
Museveni further indicated that the investor is willing, at its own cost, to realign the Ibanda–Mbarara public road to a point east of Nyakisharara. He suggested consultations to determine whether the road should pass through Bwizibweera–Makoonje–Kaigoshoora–Kyamugorani.
The President directed that all relevant sectors, including the Ministry of Works and Transport, Ministry of Lands, Ministry of Finance and the Attorney General’s chambers, be involved in processing the proposal.
