The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) is considering the relocation of residents of Kigungu in Entebbe Municipality, who currently live near Entebbe International Airport. This move is part of an ongoing master plan to expand and upgrade the airport to enhance its competitiveness.
During an inspection of the ongoing developments at Entebbe International Airport by the parliamentary committee on physical infrastructure, UCAA Director General Mr. Fred Bamwesigye disclosed this plan. He emphasized the necessity to acquire more land in the airport’s vicinity to support the expansion. The process would involve evaluating the value of the residents’ land by the Chief Government Valuer, which is expected to be completed within six months, subject to fund availability.
Mr. Bamwesigye mentioned the need for approximately five additional square miles of land to accommodate the airport’s expansion. He reassured that discussions with the affected community have been positive, with their consent conditioned upon adequate compensation. However, UCAA lacks the capacity to fulfill this compensation and will collaborate with the government in this matter.
As part of the airport’s improvement plan, the departures area expansion has been completed, and part of it is in use, awaiting the opening of the main entrance to the terminal building later this year. The arrivals component of the project is also in progress to provide more space and comfort for departing passengers. These upgrades are expected to boost the terminal building’s capacity from 2 million passengers annually to at least 3.5 million by July 2024.
Mr. Bamwesigye highlighted the significant increase in the number of passengers facilitated in 2023 compared to 2019, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The airport has achieved an 87 percent recovery in terms of passenger numbers.
In addition, the UCAA is scheduled to undergo the ICAO Universal Security Audit Programme – Continuous Monitoring Programme (USAP-CMA) in January 2024. The objective of this audit is to evaluate the effectiveness of Uganda’s security systems in alignment with the ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs).
The vice chairperson of Parliament’s physical infrastructure committee, Mr. Tony Awany, expressed his support for the airport’s expansion. He noted that there are people who have encroached on land originally belonging to Entebbe International Airport and stressed the importance of finding strategies to reclaim it.
Mr. Awany commended UCAA’s efforts in upgrading the airport facilities and underlined the significance of supporting such projects. The facilities inspected included the new terminal building, the terminal modification building, new offices, and the aircraft apron, among others.
