President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has received an update on the development of Bukasa Inland Port.
The President received the status report during a meeting with a delegation from Gauff Engineering led by Dr. Ulrich Salzer at State House Entebbe.
Since its foundation in 1988, Gauff has enabled the improvement of the economic and socio-economic framework through the development, planning, and implementation of essential infrastructures on the African continent and worldwide.
President Museveni assured the firm of the government’s support to ensure that the project is a success.
“Gauff is a friend of Uganda,” he said.
The Minister for Works and Transport, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, informed the President that the port at the shores of Lake Victoria shall create a cheaper and faster means of transportation of goods.
“One of the responsibilities is to ensure that we have infrastructure which can facilitate all the trade not only in Uganda but also for our neighbors. So, in developing the infrastructure, we found it very necessary to develop an inland port called Bukasa inland port,” he said.
“If you have seen what is happening in Tanzania; they are developing the Standard Gauge Railway and many people are going to be attracted to use the Dar es Salaam port, so a lot of cargo is going to come in terms of container cargo. Now because of the development in Tanzania, the chances are that we are now going to have more containerized cargo which needs a port.”
Gen. Katumba added that the port development concept has been in place for some time and Gauff has been offering consultancy services.
“They have developed the concept, masterplan, and all the details to do with the development of the port. We have already constructed a link road from Namboole to Bukasa,” he explained.
Mr. Emmanuel Winyi Mugamba, the Managing Director of Gauff Consultants Uganda Ltd told the President that the port will have a shipyard, a park for industries, stores, railway, and road connections.
Mr. Joern Seitz, the Project Director for Bukasa Port, told the President that the first phase of the project was almost done; that it included developing the concept, master plan, and constructing a link road from Nambole to Bukasa.
He added that the remaining work is surcharging and land reclamation at the Port to make the port fully functional.
The meeting was also attended by Hon. Persis Namuganza, the Minister of State for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Matthias Schauer, the Ambassador of Germany to Uganda, the Attorney General, Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka and the Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary, Mr. Ramathan Ggoobi.