President Museveni has moved to distance himself from the controversial planned concession of Entebbe Airport. In a statement issued on a State House website yesterday, President Museveni denied having directed former State Minister for Investment, Prof. Ssemakula Kiwanuka, to invite a private investor to take over the management of the country’s only airport.
In his letter to Works and Transport Minister John Nasasira, Mr Kiwanuka, who is now Uganda’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, had indicated that the President supported Dodsal Group of Companies, which is behind the controversy, to take over the management of the airport.
“I have read with dismay the letter from Mr Kiwanuka to Mr Nasasira,” Mr Museveni wrote. “This letter does not in any way represent my instructions or common logic and it is not a letter expected of a cabinet minister of Mr Kiwanuka’s calibre.”
The President added: “Much as this government is interested in high value investors, it is also wary of the fact that desperation is not a driving factor as it seems to have been portrayed by Mr Kiwanuka.”
In his statement, President Museveni acknowledges meeting officials from Dodsal Group but clarifies that no substantive decisions were taken. “I held a meeting with the imminent investors. This was an introductory meeting that I do with all high value investors. They represented their proposals and they were forwarded on to Mr Nasasira for further study. Nothing conclusive was agreed,” he said.
“As you are aware this government is keen on combating delivery of substandard services and again the attitude taken by Mr Kiwanuka does not in any way reflect this campaign. Instead it gives us a clear insight of how the government has been losing funds through hurried and unchecked investments.”
The statement was released on the Presidential Standards Taskforce website set up recently by State House to allow the President communicate directly with individuals. Although the statement is signed by the President, it is not clear whether he wrote it himself. The site,
www.ugandapstf.org, lists several articles ostensibly written by the President, a State House logo and contact details.
Efforts to get a comment from Presidential Press Secretary Tamale Mirundi and Minister in charge of the Presidency Beatrice Wabudeya, were futile. When Mr Kiwanuka was contacted by telephone, he rubbished the statement. “That’s nonsense,” he said, “Have you ever seen the President communicating through the website?” before hanging up.
The proposed concession of Entebbe Airport has attracted criticism over the secretive and hurried handling of the matter, the failure to open it up to open bidding, and the lack of full information about the Dodsal Group and their local partners.
My dream comes true..I knew it wudnt be too long before he distances himself from the hookus-pookus.In my dream he said it was his seat (entebe) and not the airport (ekisawe kye nyonyi e Ntebbe)that was for sale.No wonder his lie-clock is being used as a ceiling fan in Jesus´office.
