President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has reaffirmed government plans to upgrade Kisoro Airfield and construct a new international airport in Kabale District as part of efforts to boost tourism in the Kigezi Sub-region.
Speaking during the national Tarehe Sita celebrations held in Kabale on Friday, President Museveni said the government will expand Kisoro Airstrip and build a new international airport on land donated by the executive chairman of the board of directors at Crown Beverages Limited Amos Nzeyi, in partnership with an investor from the United Arab Emirates.
“We are going to expand Kisoro airport, and we are also going to build a big new airport somewhere here,” Museveni said.
He praised Nzeyi for offering land for the project and revealed that the airport will be developed in collaboration with the ruler of Sharjah.
“I want to thank Amos. He gave us land here where, together with the ruler of Sharjah, we are going to build a big international airport so that tourists can fly directly. They should not have to drive all the way from Entebbe,” Museveni added.
The planned infrastructure is intended to improve access to major tourism attractions, particularly Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, which are key gorilla-tracking destinations located near Uganda’s borders with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Gorilla tourism remains one of Uganda’s leading foreign-exchange earners.
President Museveni also revealed plans for a second, much larger airport in nearby Mbarara, which he said would primarily serve international cargo traffic.
“We also want to build another huge airport in Mbarara, even bigger than Entebbe,” he said. “The Mbarara airport will mainly handle trade between South America and China. Apparently, this region lies at the midpoint between China and South America, countries like Argentina and Brazil.”
He added that the development of the airports will further stimulate regional growth, with tourism playing a central role in transforming the Kigezi Sub-region’s economy.
CUE IN MUSEVENI……ON AIRPORTS……. RR/ENG//
