Nasasira shows airport title to MPs
Aug 06, 2009
WORKS and transport minister Eng. John Nasasira yesterday showed the land title deed for Entebbe Airport to MPs to disprove allegations that the airport had been sold to an investor.
By Madinah Tebajjukira
WORKS and transport minister Eng. John Nasasira yesterday showed the land title deed for Entebbe Airport to MPs to disprove allegations that the airport had been sold to an investor.
The committee on physical infrastructure had earlier asked Nasasira to explain the fate of the airport.
He explained that although an international firm had expressed interest in managing the airport, a decision was yet to be taken. “Entebbe International Airport is intact. No square meter has been sold. Neither will it ever be sold, nor do we have interest to sell the airport.â€
The title displayed by Nasasira indicated that the land is registered in the names of the Civil Aviation Authority, which manages the airport. The land, measuring 403 hectares, was registered in 1996 to run for 99 years.
However, Nasasira noted that a few companies had been subleased part of the land to allow them operate at the airport.
He identified the companies as Eagle Air, Entebbe Handling Services and Dairo Air Services.
He said although the proposal to let a private company manage the airport has been criticised, many countries had allowed investors to manage their airports and had succeeded. He cited Kilimanjaro Airport which he said is under a concession but doing very well.
A good masterplan which is displayed on the website of the Civil Aviation Authority attracted the investor, Nasasira said. He was appearing before the committee to present his budget.
The Ministry of Works and Transport was allocated sh1.117 trillion for the financial year 2009/10.
MPs accused former investment minister Prof. Ssemakula Kiwanuka of ‘hawking’ the airport.
They also said Ssemakula goes on talkshows explaining that plans to give away the airport are in advance stages, yet he is not the official person to talk about the matter.
They ordered Nasasira to bar Ssemakula from discussing issues concerning the airport since he is no longer the minister in charge.
Nasasira assured the MPs that a transparent process will be followed to study the proposal before taking a decision.
Answering questions from journalists at the Smart Partnership dialogue recently, President Yoweri Museveni explained that whereas a foreign firm had come up with a proposal to redevelop the airport, the Government was yet to decide on the issue.
Dodsal Group, which is registered in the British Virgin Islands, but based in the United Arab Emirates, last year floated a proposal to re-develop the airport, the major air gateway to Uganda.
The group was reportedly recommended by Ssemakula.
WORKS and transport minister Eng. John Nasasira yesterday showed the land title deed for Entebbe Airport to MPs to disprove allegations that the airport had been sold to an investor.
The committee on physical infrastructure had earlier asked Nasasira to explain the fate of the airport.
He explained that although an international firm had expressed interest in managing the airport, a decision was yet to be taken. “Entebbe International Airport is intact. No square meter has been sold. Neither will it ever be sold, nor do we have interest to sell the airport.â€
The title displayed by Nasasira indicated that the land is registered in the names of the Civil Aviation Authority, which manages the airport. The land, measuring 403 hectares, was registered in 1996 to run for 99 years.
However, Nasasira noted that a few companies had been subleased part of the land to allow them operate at the airport.
He identified the companies as Eagle Air, Entebbe Handling Services and Dairo Air Services.
He said although the proposal to let a private company manage the airport has been criticised, many countries had allowed investors to manage their airports and had succeeded. He cited Kilimanjaro Airport which he said is under a concession but doing very well.
A good masterplan which is displayed on the website of the Civil Aviation Authority attracted the investor, Nasasira said. He was appearing before the committee to present his budget.
The Ministry of Works and Transport was allocated sh1.117 trillion for the financial year 2009/10.
MPs accused former investment minister Prof. Ssemakula Kiwanuka of ‘hawking’ the airport.
They also said Ssemakula goes on talkshows explaining that plans to give away the airport are in advance stages, yet he is not the official person to talk about the matter.
They ordered Nasasira to bar Ssemakula from discussing issues concerning the airport since he is no longer the minister in charge.
Nasasira assured the MPs that a transparent process will be followed to study the proposal before taking a decision.
Answering questions from journalists at the Smart Partnership dialogue recently, President Yoweri Museveni explained that whereas a foreign firm had come up with a proposal to redevelop the airport, the Government was yet to decide on the issue.
Dodsal Group, which is registered in the British Virgin Islands, but based in the United Arab Emirates, last year floated a proposal to re-develop the airport, the major air gateway to Uganda.
The group was reportedly recommended by Ssemakula.