The news that the government plans to build a world-class international airport in Mbarara City, in western Uganda, has opened up the region for scrutiny over service levels required to support operations of such a modern facility.
From questionable state of the roads linking to tourism sites such as national parks to pipes drying up due to receding levels of River Rwizi waters and a scarcity of top-tier hotels, questions about Mbarara readiness abound.
There are also concerns about specialist healthcare facilities and pool of consultants to handle medical emergencies, with quick referrals to the capital, Kampala, where all national referral hospitals are concentrated, complicated by the 270-kilometre distance.
The airport, according to President Museveni’s February directive, is to be built by a Uganda-Chinese consortium to replace Nyakisharara airfield, about 10 kilometres from Mbarara City centre.
The earmarked investors are to use existing government land for the aerodrome and buy additional hectares to make 21 square kilometres that initiators say is required for the project. They are expected to relocate, at their cost, the Ibanda-Mbarara highway and build auxiliary infrastructure within the precincts of the airport whose construction is to be modelled on a Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) arrangement.
Following news of the planned airport development, residents speak of a scramble by speculators to buy land ostensibly for the development of hospitality facilities and high-class real estate, both commercial and residential.
However, local elected leaders and bureaucrats, as well as private sector players, are upbeat that available facilities and services in Mbarara City can suffice in the interim and gaps covered through upgrades and new constructions over the next four years within which the airport is planned to be completed. While admitting that the City is not yet developed like world-class megalopolises in Europe or Asia, despite the airport class ambition leveling those on those continents, the availability of vast virgin means Mbarara can be turned around quickly with vast investments.
Uganda is planning to construct Nyakisharara International Airport, which according to President Museveni, will have two 5.5-kilometre runways, and another 3.5-kilometre runway for exclusive VIP use, making it one of the largest in the whole world.
The business case made by both the President and promoters of the development is that Nyakisharara is located centrally between Asia and South America, and locating a transit, refueling and logistical hub there will attract long-haul China-Brazil flights, presently connecting via Madrid and other capitals, and boost trade and tourism in Uganda.
Aviation experts say Mbarara, elevated to a city just in 2020, is not prepared to host an international airport due to the dearth of high-end infrastructure and untested viability claims, especially when the existing Nyakisharara airfield processes 40 or so passengers monthly.
According to AL Global (ALG), a global logistics and transport consultancy, an international airport must meet six criteria in order to provide excellent services and consumer experience.
These are efficient passenger processing and flow including; speedy security immigration, streamlined transfers and baggage management; tech-driven passenger experience like real time accurate information, high speed connectivity, widespread if self-service kiosks; high infrastructure like roads, pickup services, and easy connectivity.
Others are commercial and hospitality services like diverse retail and dining, premium lounge, insurance, health services; and sustainable operations like green initiatives, such as solar power, waste reduction, and eco-friendly practices, improving the overall reputation of the airport.
Mbarara at present is far from meeting any of these benchmarks, despite potential.
The City Council collects about Shs3.2 billion in local revenue a year, which is less than the cost of building one kilometre of paved road, yet the central government has not made provisions in the 2026/27 Financial Year budget to cater for infrastructure outside the mandate of the airport investors.
The economic mainstays of cattle-keeping and agricultural processing (tea, grains, edible oil) are inadequate to attract or sustain profitable cargo business, the insurance and financial markets underdeveloped and telecommunication services are less than satisfactory.
That makes it incomparable with airports such as Frankfurt (Germany), Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) (France), Doha Airport (Qatar), and Dubai International Airport (United Arab Emirates) that Nyakisharara on paper aims to rival, further exposing the handicaps for Mbarara.
Hotels and accommodation None of the current hotels in Mbarara falls under a 5-star category, according to the latest ratings by the Uganda Tourism Board.
According to the 2025 Tourism Industry Performance Report released in April this year, 117 hotels were rated countrywide, with four ranked 5-star hotels, 17 four-star hotels, 28 three-star hotels, and 66 two-star facilities.
Kampala, according to the report, currently hosts the only four 5-star hotels while the whole of western Uganda, including Mbarara, hosts thirty-one hotels.
Ms Jean Byamugisha, the Chief Executive Officer of Uganda Hoteliers’ Association (UHOA), said that Mbarara has 20 hospitality facilities that subscribe to the association.
‘…these include two 4-star hotels and two three-star hotels. But the whole of western Uganda has over 100 facilities including lodges in national parks,’ she said.