The Ministry of Works and Transport has signed a Shs232bn contract with the Egyptian firm SAMCO to build the passenger terminal at Kabalega International Airport in Hoima.
The deal covers the second phase of the airport. It was signed at the ministry’s headquarters in Kampala, in the presence of the Egyptian ambassador and ministry technical staff.
The Minister of Works and Transport, Fred Byamukama, said SAMCO’s price was much lower than the Shs285bn that China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and other bidders had demanded earlier.
He said the difference had saved the government more than Shs50bn.
Byamukama also said the president had at one point been misled by some individuals about the project.
“Thankfully, he listened after being advised, until we landed on another contractor,” he said.
He told SAMCO to deliver quality work and to stay away from corruption.
“I have refused several bribe offers from people trying to convince me to give them this project,” Byamukama said.
He warned the contractor to watch out for local leaders, security personnel and technical officers in the sector.
The contractor has been given eight months to finish the terminal. The government wants it ready for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which Uganda is co-hosting with Kenya and Tanzania.
The tournament runs from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
“We expect to accommodate more than 350 passengers, especially the guests coming for AFCON, after the completion of Kabalega airport,” the minister said.
SAMCO’s vice chairman, Eng Ibrahim Mabrouk, said the company was ready to start work. He said it might even finish before the eight months are up.
“We are more than ready, because of the support from the ministry and the capacity we have to build such projects,” Eng Mabrouk said.
The acting director general of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), Olive Birungi Lumonya, also attended the signing.
She said the airport was a critical facility for aviation, especially for travellers, tourists, AFCON visitors and the fast-growing oil sector.
Lumonya said the authority expects a “beautiful terminal building” and smooth movement of traffic by the time the tournament starts.
She pledged technical support from the authority to make sure the project ends successfully.
