By Peter Ssebulime
Kampala: The newly elected Hoima district woman Member of Parliament Harriet Businge has opposed a proposed name for the new international Airport, which is currently under construction in Hoima.
While speaking before parliament on Thursda, Businge asked government to name the Airport ‘Hoima International Airport’ as opposed to Kabale International Airport.
She also called upon government to speed up the creation of Bunyoro University, so that it can serve the sub-region, and construction of Hoima district hospital.
Businge also told parliament that she wants more people in Bunyoro to be employed by oil companies so that they are not neglected in the job creation projects.
However, it is not yet clear whether government will consider changing the project’s name and rename it Hoima International Airport.
Hoima International Airport also Kabaale International Airport, is an airport under construction in Uganda.
It is part of the infrastructure under construction as Uganda prepares to develop its nascent petroleum industry.
The project which is partly funded by the United Kingdom Export Finance (UKEF) and Standard Chartered is anticipated to be fully complete by 2022.
According to the site contractor, the work so far done encompasses earthworks for a runway that involved digging up and compaction of soil up to 27 meters from the ground to guarantee an absolutely firm foundation on to which the run way will sit.
When completed, it will be Uganda’s second international airport, besides Entebbe International Airport.
The new airport is expected to facilitate mobilization of equipment for construction of the Uganda Oil Refinery and assist in the development of agriculture and tourism in Uganda’s Western Region.
Hoima Airport is located in Kabaale Parish, Buseruka sub-county, Hoima District in the Western Region of Uganda, near the Kaiso-Tonya oil fields and the Uganda Oil Refinery.
The air distance between the general area where the airport is being built and Entebbe International Airport, is about 225 kilometres (140 mi).
Kabaale International Airport will sit on 29 square kilometres (11 sq mi) after construction.
