MPs to inspect Entebbe airport expansion project today
BY ARTHUR ARNOLD WADERO
Members of parliament on the committee of Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises are today expected to conduct an onsite inspection of the Entebbe International Airport to assess the actual progress of the ongoing construction works meant to expand the airport.
This is after officials of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) failed to explain the extra Shs6Bn variation unearthed in the architectural designs for the expansion of the Entebbe International Airport.
The UCAA officials had appeared before the committee to, among other things; answer queries around the review of the technical audit into the ongoing expansion of Entebbe International Airport.
The MPs led by their chairperson who also doubles as the Nakawa West MP Joel Ssenyonyi tasked the UCAA officials to explain why they contracted Arch Designs to do the initial designs at the cost of Shs613M but along the way, a few months later they brought Ssetongo and Partners who were meant to review but instead changed the entire design.
In response, the Manager Aedrome Engineering, Planning and Development at the CAA, Ronald Twesigye, told the MPs that alteration was occasioned by a change in design.
This explanation was however dismissed by the committee chairperson Ssenyonyi saying that it was not logical because the project was meant to be covered by the Shs42Bn but the new design by Setongo and Partners was worth Shs49Bn, thus causing an increment of Shs6.4Bn and yet the new designers are asking for more funds on the pretext that Shs49Bn wasn’t enough.
The failure by the UCAA officials to furnish the committee with the necessary documentation to support the variations that occasioned Shs6.4 Billion compelled the lawmakers to send away the UCAA officials to fetch the supporting documents on the matter.
It was not clear when the UCAA officials are expected to report back to the committee and furnish Parliament with the requisite documentation as tasked.
It should be noted that this was the third time Parliament was pressing the aviation body to explain the origin and reason for the extra Shs6.4 Billion.
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