CAA asked to recover UGX 2Bn excess payment to Seyani brothers

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Civil Aviation Authority has been asked to recover a sum of 2.1 billion Shillings that was paid to Seyani brothers, the contractors for the re-modification of Entebbe Airport.

The airport expansion project which started in 2015 covers the extension of the passenger terminal, construction of a new cargo centre, and refurbishment of the airport’s two runways. As part of the project, M/s Seyani Brothers (U) Ltd was contracted for the landside expansion which sought to provide a new arrivals and departure block.

The project is funded by CAA to the tune of 42.6 billion Shillings and supervised by Ssentoogo & Partners Limited at a cost of 1.1 billion Shillings. But members of the Parliamentary Committee on Commissions Statutory Authorities and State Enterprise have established that the contractor has already been overpaid by 2.1 billion Shillings.

The matter came up as the committee started investigating findings of the review of the technical audit into the expansion of Entebbe International Airport. According to the review, sample items of executed works that were compared with certified quantities in interim payment certificates showed an anomaly in payments made to M/s Seyani brothers.

Now the committee led by the chairperson and Nakawa West MP, Joel Ssenyonyi, wants this money recovered.

The authority has also for the third time failed to explain the 6 billion Shillings variation in architectural designs for the expansion of the Entebbe International Airport also worked on by Seyani brothers. The contract rose from 43 to 49 billion Shillings.

Although COSASE has been interfacing with the officials from UCAA for the third time, the authority has failed to provide documents forcing the committee to adjourn the meetings several times. Committee members say the authority did not to date, justify the use of 6.4 billion Shillings.

But Ronald Twesigye, the Manager Aerodrome Engineering, Planning and Development at the Civil Aviation Authority said that although the initial design was meant to cater for two blocks, this was changed after a review, and incorporated into one single block. He said that the changes also created room for Uganda Airlines, a development that hadn’t been catered for in the first design.

Twesigye said that the new design will handle additional 3.5 million passengers per annum.

The committee also questioned the CAA director-general for reportedly employing relatives. Ssenyonyi explained that he got information from a whistleblower indicating that several officers at the authority including Ronald Twesigye who was present and others were Bamwesigye’s relatives. The committee tasked the CAA authorities to come with a list of the mentioned officers and how they were employed.

UCAA Director-General Fred Bamwesigye, however said that the accusations were politically motivated

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