Uganda is moving forward with plans to build a major international airport at Nyakisharara in Mbarara, a city in western Uganda, in one of the country’s most ambitious aviation infrastructure proposals to date.
The project, backed by President Yoweri Museveni, is expected to cover about 21 square kilometres and operate under a Build, Operate and Transfer model, where private developers would finance and run the airport for an agreed period before transferring it to the Ugandan government.
The proposed airport’s most striking feature is its runway design. Plans indicate two main runways of about 5.5 kilometres each, alongside a separate 3.5 to 3.7-kilometre runway reserved for VIP or contingency use. If built as proposed, the main runways would rank among the longest in the world and far exceed many major international airport runways. That scale has drawn attention because most large international airports operate runways of about 3 to 4 kilometres, while exceptionally long runways are usually found in high-altitude locations where aircraft require more distance for takeoff.
Uganda’s existing main gateway, Entebbe International Airport, has a runway of about 3.66 kilometres, while the oil-focused Kabalega International Airport in Hoima was designed with a 3.5-kilometre runway. The Mbarara project is being promoted as part of Uganda’s wider push to expand aviation capacity, unlock regional trade, support tourism and position western Uganda as a stronger economic corridor. Mbarara sits near key routes linking Uganda to Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo, while the wider western region is important for agriculture, tourism, education, health services and cross-border commerce.
Supporters argue that a modern airport in Mbarara could reduce pressure on Entebbe, improve access to western Uganda, attract cargo operations and strengthen tourism links to destinations such as Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the wider Great Lakes region.
The proposal also comes as Uganda pursues several aviation projects at once. Apart from Entebbe, the country has been developing Kabalega International Airport to support oil and gas operations, while a separate airport project near Kidepo National Park has been linked to tourism investment through a UAE partnership.
Still, the Nyakisharara plan is already facing scrutiny. Aviation analysts and local commentators have questioned whether Uganda needs runways of that length, whether projected traffic justifies the scale, and how land acquisition, financing, environmental approvals and road relocation will be handled. Local reporting has also noted concerns over displacement of nearby residents and the need for clearer public information on the developers, financing structure and long-term commercial viability.
Those questions matter because airport projects can become powerful economic assets when properly planned, but expensive liabilities when traffic forecasts, financing assumptions and supporting infrastructure are weak. For Uganda, the real test will not be the headline size of the runways. It will be whether the Mbarara International Airport can attract airlines, cargo operators, investors and tourism flows at a level strong enough to justify the scale of the development.
If executed well, the Mbarara International Airport project could reshape western Uganda’s connectivity and give the country another gateway into regional trade and tourism. If handled poorly, it could become another example of African infrastructure ambition running ahead of demand, financing discipline and implementation clarity.