Embattled CAA staff
By Ruth Nanyonga
KAMPALA. Eleven staffers of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), including Chief Engineer Herbert Ngobi, are appearing before the Entebbe High Court on Monday afternoon over alleged negligence of duty linked to the vandalism of airport installations valued at Shs3.7 billion.
The officials were arrested last week following an operation led by Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama, who said investigations had uncovered suspected insider involvement in the destruction of critical airport infrastructure.
The arrests followed reports of repeated vandalism involving electrical installations, runway approach lighting systems, copper cables, and cargo centre lighting and information and communication technology equipment at Entebbe International Airport.
Ngobi was among the senior technical officers arrested, alongside the engineer in charge of maintenance, Godfrey Wanyama, and other technical and security personnel.
Addressing journalists after inspecting the affected installations on November 5, Byamukama said the government had initially estimated the direct damage at Shs3.7 billion, although the cost of restoring interconnected systems could rise to Shs23 billion.
The minister accused some airport insiders of colluding with outsiders to vandalise critical installations and compromise airport operations.
He particularly cited incidents in January, March and June involving the vandalism of copper cables supporting the approach lighting system, interference with the airport’s server room and destruction of the cargo centre lighting system.
Byamukama said investigators had also established that concerns raised by subordinate staff over the security of some installations had allegedly not been adequately addressed.
He said the suspects would face charges including negligence of duty and terrorism, depending on their individual roles in the alleged incidents.
The government has since secured approximately Shs6 billion towards restoring the damaged infrastructure, with repair works expected to take about two months.
Investigations are ongoing, with authorities indicating that more individuals could be arrested as they pursue other suspects allegedly connected to the vandalism.