KAMPALA, Uganda — President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni launched construction works Sunday for Kidepo International Airport in Karenga District, an initiative aimed at boosting tourism, trade and investment in the Karamoja subregion.
The USD 72 million aviation infrastructure project is funded by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry from the United Arab Emirates. Major features of the development include a 3.6-kilometer runway, a 7,408-square-meter passenger terminal and a 74,200-square-meter cargo terminal.
During the launch, Museveni highlighted the strategic economic opportunities the international facility brings to Karenga and the broader Karamoja area. He emphasized the untapped economic potential of the neighboring Kidepo Valley National Game Park, noting that the conservation area helped attract the multimillion-dollar infrastructure investment.
Comparing the scale of the development to the nation’s primary aviation hub, Museveni commended local communities in Karenga District for voluntarily donating land to host the project. He assured residents that the international airport would yield significant long-term financial returns through trade, wildlife conservation and expanded tourism services.
The president also urged Karamoja residents to diversify their economic activities by adopting commercial enterprises aligned with the four core wealth-creation sectors mapped out by the National Resistance Movement government: services, commercial agriculture, manufacturing and information and communication technology. Museveni noted that modern economies rely heavily on the services sector, which includes global tourism, and advised communities living near the national park to support state conservation strategy.
Abdallah Mohamad Sultan Alowais, chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, disclosed that the construction project currently employs 1,620 Ugandans and will be executed in three distinct phases.
Regional leaders from the Karamoja subregion attributed the influx of major industrial investments, including cement factories, marble mines and the new airport, to the restoration of peace and security achieved through government disarmament initiatives.
Olive Birungi Lumonya, deputy director general of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, confirmed that the regulatory body has conducted the necessary technical assessments for the Kidepo International Airport project to ensure compliance with aviation standards.
