CAA Chief Engineer and 10 Others Court Appearance Over Shs3.7bn Airport Vandalism

Eleven officials from the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), led by Chief Engineer Herbert Ngobi, have appeared before the Entebbe High Court. The court session follows their arrest over alleged negligence of duty connected to the widespread vandalism of critical installations at Entebbe International Airport, estimated at Shs3.7 billion.

The arrests came after an operation spearheaded by Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama. According to investigators, the destruction targeted vital airport infrastructure, including electrical installations, runway approach lighting systems, copper cables, cargo centre lighting, and ICT equipment.

Alongside Ngobi, other senior figures such as maintenance engineer Godfrey Wanyama and various technical and security personnel were detained. Minister Byamukama inspected the damaged sites and noted that while direct damage stands at Shs3.7 billion, total restoration costs for interconnected systems could escalate to Shs23 billion.

Authorities believe that certain airport insiders collaborated with external actors to compromise security and execute the vandalism. Incidents dating back to January, March, and June involved severe tampering with server rooms, cargo lighting, and copper cables. Furthermore, investigations revealed that management allegedly ignored safety concerns previously raised by subordinate staff.

The suspects face serious charges, including negligence of duty and terrorism, depending on their specific level of involvement. Meanwhile, the government has allocated roughly Shs6 billion for emergency repairs, which are anticipated to take two months to complete.

Read the full report on Nile Post.