Uganda is considering an ambitious plan to construct what President Museveni has described as one of the largest airports in the world at Nyakisharara in western Uganda’s Mbarara City.
Promoters of the proposed Nyakisharara International Airport argue that it could become a strategic transit, logistics and refuelling centre for long-haul flights operating between China and Brazil, a development they believe could significantly boost Uganda’s economy.
However, questions remain about whether the multi-billion-dollar venture will move beyond the drawing board.
Investigations indicate that the two Ugandan firms partnering with Chinese companies to pursue the airport project are relatively new entities with interconnected shareholding arrangements.
Records from the Uganda Registration Services Bureau show that Base International Aviation Academy Ltd (B7IAA) was incorporated on May 10, 2019, while Hamster Business Solutions Limited was registered on December 21, 2022. The two companies each hold six shares in the other.
B7IAA has a declared share capital of Shs2 million, while Hamster Business Solutions has share capital amounting to Shs5 million. Available URSB records further indicate that neither company has filed annual returns since its incorporation.
B7IAA’s ownership is spread among six shareholders. Four of them — Ham Kamuntu, David M. Kamanya, Charles Mugabi and Alex Kyakunzire, who also serves as company secretary — are directors and hold between 15 and 17 shares each. The remaining shareholders are Jeremiah M. Aronda and Patience Ataho.
Hamster Business Solutions has a comparable ownership pattern, with Patrick Kangume, Sylvia S. Komuhangi, Eddie K. Sengendo and Harrison Asiimwe serving as directors. Its shareholder list also includes two Chinese nationals, Guo Dong and Jing Hong.
Representatives of the two Ugandan firms, alongside a United Kingdom-registered company and two major Chinese construction and design companies, reportedly secured presidential approval to develop an international airport at the existing Nyakisharara aerodrome.
In a directive addressed to Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, President Museveni said the proposed airport could function as a midpoint transit and refuelling hub for flights connecting Asia and South America, particularly China and Brazil.
The current status of implementation remains unclear. Some government officials, speaking anonymously, questioned the decision to endorse local firms with no proven record in airport development and in the absence of a feasibility study. They also noted that one of the companies had previously failed to establish an aviation academy despite signing an agreement with government.
Hamster Business Solutions, which describes itself as an investment and development consultancy, was not part of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in March 2020.
B7IAA, however, was a signatory to the agreement and maintains that it partially met its obligations, arguing that the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted planned activities, including collaboration with its South African affiliate, 360 Aviation.
According to information published on its website, B7IAA offers services related to pilot training, flight academy operations, aircraft maintenance, charter services, airport management and simulator instruction.
Government allocated the Nyakisharara airfield to the company for the establishment of an aviation training institution, but officials say the academy never became operational. B7IAA director David Magaga Kamanya has previously stated that students were trained and graduated from the school.
That claim reportedly conflicts with findings of a government assessment team, which concluded that no trainees had been presented to the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority for certification, a mandatory requirement under aviation regulations.
The assessment team also observed that the company lacked adequate financing, aircraft or aircraft components for practical training, and had not established a library despite being granted access to the aerodrome.
The team concluded that the objectives of the Memorandum of Understanding had not been achieved due to insufficient funding needed to establish and run the academy.
B7IAA has dismissed concerns about its financial and technical capacity, citing prospective partners including Blackrock Uwekeza Ltd, Hunan Construction Investment Group Co. Ltd and China Southwest Architectural Design and Research Institute (CSADRI).
During meetings with President Museveni in September 2025 and February 2026, project promoters identified Blackrock Uwekeza Ltd as the lead financier. The company was incorporated in the United Kingdom on May 24, 2022 under the name FINOWL Investments Ltd before changing its name.
British company records indicate that Blackrock Uwekeza engages in activities such as financial services, proprietary securities trading and fund management.
Investigations further found that the two Chinese state-owned firms associated with the Nyakisharara proposal possess extensive experience in infrastructure design and construction. Their portfolios include major airports, bridges, national parks in China and the construction of a presidential palace in Burundi.
Neither company, however, is currently registered to operate in Uganda.
The final installment of Chasing Big Dreams in the Air is expected to examine the deteriorating condition of regional aerodromes and the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority’s plans to rehabilitate them, against the backdrop of the proposed new international airport.
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