The Kabalega International Airport will be fully operational by August 2025, according to Eng. Dr. Michael Nkambo Mugerwa.
Eng. Dr. Mugerwa is the General Manager of Uganda Refinery Holding Company which is overseeing the Kabalega Industrial Park (KIP) in Kabaale, Hoima.
The engineer made the revelation Wednesday while speaking at the 9th Annual Oil & Gas Convention ongoing at Kampala Serena Hotel under the theme, ‘The Journey To First Oil In The Face Of A Just Energy Transition In Uganda.’
Authorities, he disclosed, have okayed a 15-month extension for the airport.
Early this month, media reports indicated that the completion of Kabalega International Airport had suffered a big setback with the contractor SBC seeking for more than fifteen months to have works completed.
The contractor, a joint venture of Israeli-British firms, Shikun and Binui International-SBI/Colas Limited, had initially planned to hand over the airport to the government in October this year.
However, Amos Muriisa, the Communications Manager at SBC, told Uganda Radio Network (URN) in an interview that they are seeking more fifteen months to allow for the completion of crucial works, such as the construction of the control tower, installation of electricity, Installation of CCTV Cameras, fibre optic cables and other operations at the airport.
According to Muriisa, initially, the airport was designed to have a mobile control tower, however, the design was changed, and the airport will have a fixed control tower. The change in the design of the control tower impacted a lot on the progress of the construction of the airport hence causing delays.
Muriisa explained that the contractor needs an additional Shs160bn to have the remaining works completed.
Construction works of the USD 309 million Airport financed by Standard Chartered Bank started in April 2018.
While addressing the symposium yesterday, Eng Dr Mugerwa also disclosed that feeder pipelines from the Kingfisher project have reached KIP. He said the feeder pipelines will transport crude oil from the source-Upstream.
Kabalega International Airport, also Hoima International Airport, is an airport under construction in Hoima District, Uganda. It is part of the infrastructure under construction as Uganda prepares to develop its nascent petroleum industry.
When completed, it would be Uganda’s second international airport, besides Entebbe International Airport. The new airport is expected to facilitate the mobilization of equipment for the construction of the Uganda Oil Refinery and assist in the development of agriculture and tourism in Uganda’s Western Region.