WAKISO, UGANDA| Forum for the Democratic (FDC) has tasked the Ministry of Works and Transport with clarifying the alleged takeover of Entebbe International Airport by China.
On March 25, 2015, Matia Kasaija, the finance minister, presented a motion to Parliament seeking to borrow $207m from Exim Bank at 2% interest upon disbursement for the expansion of Entebbe airport.
The loan came with a maturity period of 20 years including a seven-year grace period.
Addressing the media Monday, at the party head offices in Najjankumbi, John Kikonyongo, the deputy party spokesperson said the International and local media has been taken up by news that Entebbe Airport has been taken up by Chinese.
“This is surprising because Entebbe Airport is a national asset that has existed for years even before the National Resistance Movement (NRM). The government is taking the issue of the airport take over lightly.
The Ministry of Works and Transport should come out and clarify this matter. Ugandans need to know if the airport has been taken by Chinese,” Kikonyongo said.
Kikonyongo said works and transport minister Gen. Katumba Wamala needs to come out and explain the status of the National Airport whether it’s still ours or taken over by the Chinese and if it was taken over by them, how do we recover it.
“The government finds it very important to talk about a person selling nsenene on the plan rather than talking about our airport that is at stake,” he said.
However, in a document issued by Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) last week, they communicated saying that the allegation of the airport being taken away by the Chinese was fake.
“Government cannot give away a national asset like an International airport. We have it before and repeat that it has not happened and it’s not going to happen,” UCAA said.
They said it’s true that UCAA opened up a Scale Collection Account in Stanbic Bank where all authority’s revenues are deposited in line with the Escrow Account Agreement terms but it doesn’t mean that anyone is to control the UCAA’s finance.
UCAA also stated that the loan terms provide for a grace period of seven years and they are still in the grace period in which only interest is paid and the government has not defaulted on those obligations.
Omicorn COVID-19 variant
Kikonyogo said there is a health crisis in the country and the world has been put in a panic after a new COVID-19 variant dubbed Omicron that was discovered in South Africa.
He said, “Uganda has suffered for two years since the first case was reported. We have been warned earlier this time. The government needs to act fast.
We don’t want that business of people being locked again because of the negligence of the government after it has been warned,” Kikonyogo said.
He said there is understaffing of the government health facilities which currently is at 60%.
“More than 1000 doctors are unemployed because the government has refused to employ them,” Kikonyogo said.
He also condemned the doctor’s strike which he said has led to the death of preventable death.
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