Government is set to officially open the 1st Phase of kabalega International Airport in Hoima whose works currently stand at 95 percent -according to the state Minister for Works and Transport Fred Byamukama.
Construction of the 1st Phase of Uganda’s 2nd International Airport commenced in 2018 but works were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and some slight changes in design. The Works Ministry now estimates completion date to be 13th August, 2025.
SBI Ltd the contractors undertaking construction of the airport said the project is in it’s final stages including construction of Procurement and Management section, Mobile Control Tower, Generator Power system and Navigation System.
Minister Byamukama affirms that the airport has passed all critical international tests with few technical refurbishments left ahead of official opening, starting with government shipments and the passenger services later.
The project has costed 1.118tn and the Airport is designed to carry some of the world’s heaviest aircraft and will be a game changer for Uganda’s export industry. The airport will boost not only the country’s nascent petroleum sector but also tourism and agriculture.
“The project is progressing towards operationalization of this great piece of infrastructure that will boost the oil and gas, agriculture and tourism industries in the Albertine Region” Byamukama noted.
According to the Ministry of Works and Transport, an additional UGX76BN is required for completion of the pending project activities which are part of the Operational Readiness, Activation and Transition (ORAT).