By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with
Published on 2024-01-18 19:15:22
The Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs is in need of Shs 57 billion for the renovation of Nakasongola Air Force Base, as stated in the ministry’s Shs 9 trillion Budget Framework Paper (BFP) for FY 2024/2025. The parliament’s committee on defence and internal affairs is currently reviewing this budget, chaired by the Nyabushozi County MP, Wilson Kajwenjye.
Vincent Ssempijja, the Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, defended the ministry’s BFP by emphasizing the significance of Nakasongola Air Force Base, which is located in Wabisi village in Nakasongola district. He explained that the base serves as a crucial alternative to Entebbe International Airport in case of emergencies.
The ministry is facing a shortfall of Shs 5.2 trillion, as only Shs 3.8 trillion of the requested Shs 9 trillion has been allocated in the national budget, with no funds allocated for the Nakasongola Air Force Base project by the ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development.
Constructed by the Israelites in the 1970s as the headquarters of the Uganda Air Force, the Air Force wing has a 3.6km runway and is one of the five national medium-sized military airports in Uganda. In 2014, the government injected $11 million for the renovation of the airport, but as of 2019, the relocation of the Air Force headquarters had reportedly still not occurred due to an incomplete radar system and a land ownership dispute.
In January 2022, the UPDF Air Force unveiled a helicopter maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) unit at the Nakasongola Air Force Base, which is a joint venture between National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) and a Russian company, Pro Heli International Services Limited.
The budgetary concerns for the Nakasongola Air Force Base reflect the ongoing need for infrastructure investment and development in Uganda’s military facilities.
Read the original article on The Observer
