President Museveni has today officially launched the construction works for upgrading the Jinja Airfield.
Established in the 1950s during the construction of the Owen Falls Dam, Jinja Airfield has been underutilized, primarily serving as a training ground for pilots at Vine Air Flight Academy and housing the helicopter hangar for police aircraft.
The redevelopment aims to transform the airfield enhancing its capacity and functionality.
The project, valued at shs 23 billion will see the construction of a runway, apron, and initial infrastructure.
Efforts are underway to obtain an additional shs 40 billion for further expansion.
Speaking during the function, President Museveni directed the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority to collaborate with other government entities owning land near Jinja Airport to facilitate the extension of the current 2.5 km runway to 3.5 km.
"If there is government land, then that makes work easy; engage the relevant authorities to allocate land for expansion," Museveni stated.
He emphasized the strategic importance of an airport in Jinja, noting, "When I use a helicopter to Jinja, it takes 25 minutes; that means when I use a jet, the duration is shorter."
The president also highlighted plans to revitalize other airstrips across the country, including those in Arua and Kidepo, to attract more tourists seeking direct flights to various destinations.
State Minister for Transport, Fred Byamukama observed that Uganda loses some tourists who own private jets because they prefer to fly directly to their destinations.
"We lose rich tourists because they own their own private jets and they opt to fly to the exact tourist attractions, so when we don't have enough airports, they go elsewhere," he explained.
First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga identified key government entities that possess land which can be annexed for the airport's expansion.
"Your Excellency, we need 7 hectares of land from UPDF and NFA, also more than 400 acres in Buwenda, so we can utilize that land for expansion," Kadaga noted.
Local leaders in Jinja have lauded the government's initiative.
Moses Grace Balyeku, former Member of Parliament for Jinja South West constituency, expressed optimism.
"We shall have more tourists because they can fly to Jinja instead of spending hours on the road from Entebbe."
Former Resident District Commissioner Eric Sakwa echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing the potential economic benefits and increased accessibility the modernized airport will bring to the region.
