President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Friday held a meeting at State House, Entebbe, with a China-based consortium that has proposed to construct and develop an international airport at Nyakisharara, Mbarara District.
The project was presented by Base 7 Aviation International Academy together with their consultants, Hamster Business Solutions. According to officials Mugabi Charles and Alexandria Judith Kyakunzire, three firms will spearhead the development: Hunan Construction and Investment Engineering Company (construction), China Southwest Architectural Design and Research Institute (feasibility and design), and Blackrock Uwekeza (financing and operation) under a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) model.
President Museveni welcomed the consortium’s proposal, pledging government support for the construction of what he described as an iconic international airport for western Uganda.
He urged the group to coordinate closely with the government’s technical team to finalize plans.
Highlighting the importance of the project, the President noted that Uganda urgently needs the facility to accelerate economic growth, create jobs, and promote both tourism and agricultural exports.
He also reflected on the history of the Nyakisharara area and emphasized the need for environmental conservation during implementation.
Blackrock Uwekeza’s Bethuel Macharia expressed commitment to financing the entire project, pointing out its potential to stimulate significant economic transformation.
Hamster Business Solutions consultants, Eddie Kisitu and Abubakar Kaseruuzi, outlined additional benefits, noting that the airport could position Uganda as a key transit hub linking Latin America, China, Indonesia, and Australia, thereby unlocking new revenue streams for the country and the region.
The project, expected to facilitate both regional and international routes, is projected to triple Uganda’s economic output once operational.
It is scheduled for completion by 2030 under President Museveni’s Party and Term Oriented Delivery initiative.
