The newly re-elected Rwandan President Paul Kagame yesterday laid the foundation of what is to become the country’s main airport worth 818 million USD.
“I am pleased to join you today to break ground on this important national project. We are as determined as you are to see this airport completed and operational,” the president-elect said after laying a foundation stone.
The Mega Bugesera Airport located in Bugesera District, Eastern Province of Rwanda –a 30 minutes drive from the capital Kigali- is expected to have ultra-modern facilities.
“This is the best time to officially launch the construction works of the facility that was conceptualized back in 2009,” said Rwanda’s Minister for Infrastructure, James Musoni.
The construction of the airport will be in two-phase, with the first phase expected to cost 414 million USD and be completed by December 2018.
Rwanda expects over 1.7 million passengers to use the airport annually before the second is finished, the second phase will allow the airport to handle up to 4.5 million passengers.
“The proposed airport will increase global connectivity as well as support the country’s ambition of becoming a hub for ICT-based services as well as a finance and transportation hub,” said Musoni.
Mota-Engil Africa, a Portuguese-based firm, will develop the project under a public-private partnership on a 25-year concession and an optional 15-year extension.
