MP protests sale of Soroti flying school land

Kasilo County MP Elijah Okupa has protested the government’s planned sale of land and property belonging to the Soroti Flying School.

Addressing journalists at Parliament yesterday, Mr Okupa said if the proposed sale of staff houses and undeveloped land is effected, the planned elevation of the East African Civil Aviation Academy into a centre of excellence for the East African Community will be hindered.

The land in question according to Mr Okupa, is half a square mile.
“If you sell them now, you are denying us the opportunity to expand in future,” he said.

Mr Okupa accused the State Minister for Housing, Mr Michael Werikhe, of being behind the divestiture plan. The minister could not be reached as he was reportedly attending a funeral service in his constituency.

Petitioning premier
The MP has also written to the Prime Minister, Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, objecting to the proposed sale. In a letter which he sent to the Prime Minister yesterday, Mr Okupa said the proposed sale will marginalise Teso the more since it is one of the few significant government institutions in the region.

“We have been lobbying the government to develop the second alternative airport. This sale of the academy’s property undermines this bid and makes Soroti less competitive,” he said.

It is a shame that the process has from the start been marred by lack of transparency, suspicion and lack of stakeholder involvement,” he said.
According to available documents, the sale process is being conducted before valuation of the property.