CAA Chief Engineer, 10 Others Appear In Court Over Shs3.7bn Airport Vandalism

What the report says

Eleven officials from the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, including Chief Engineer Herbert Ngobi, appeared before the Entebbe High Court on Monday afternoon over allegations tied to negligence and vandalism at Entebbe International Airport, according to Nile Post. The case stems from claims that critical airport systems were damaged in incidents affecting electrical installations, runway approach lighting, copper cables, cargo centre lighting and information and communication technology equipment.

Nile Post reports that the officials were arrested last week after an operation led by Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama, who said investigators suspected insider involvement in the destruction of infrastructure valued at Shs3.7 billion. Senior maintenance engineer Godfrey Wanyama was also among those detained, along with other technical and security staff. The minister said the alleged damage was detected after inspections on November 5.

Byamukama said the direct repair bill was first put at Shs3.7 billion, though restoring interconnected systems could cost much more. He also linked the alleged sabotage to incidents in January, March and June and said some staff concerns about security may not have been adequately addressed. Authorities have said possible charges include negligence of duty and terrorism, depending on each suspect’s role.

The government has reportedly set aside about Shs6 billion for repairs, with restoration expected to take around two months. Investigations are continuing, and further arrests have not been ruled out.