Unknown people storm Arua earth satellite station, take equipment

The concrete site where the satellite dishes had been installed was Saturday left bare. PHOTO BY FELIX WAROM OKELLO

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The dishes, according to Mr Yoram Badang, a Technician employed by Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, were used to transmit communication on Television

ARUA. Unknown people on Saturday dismantled the three satellite dishes and the medium wave station constructed as part of Ombaci Satellite in Arua district during late Idi Amin’s government.
The three satellite dishes erected outside the fence of the main control tower linking to the 150 meter Antennae are now gone. They were used for military communication. The dishes, according to Mr Yoram Badang, a Technician employed by Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, were used to transmit communication on Television.

“The Lower dish was used to transmit to Pacific, middle dish to Indian Ocean and the upper one to Atlantic Ocean,” he said.
It has remained unclear who dismantled and where the dishes were taken. Residents of the area where the satellite was raised were left puzzled when parts of the dishes were being ferried in trucks on Saturday morning.
A resident, Mr Salim Anguzu, said: “We don’t know what this government is doing to our Satellite because how can people just come and dismantle these machines when this remains our clear heritage. In any case we expected the government to upgrade and make use of them.”

Another resident, Ms Joyce Adiru, 56, said: “Although, Idi Amin was thought to be illiterate, he realized the importance of technology and built the Earth Satellite and the Medium Wave in 1976 in Arua district. This government should have protected this legacy of Amin and not destroy it.”
In 2002, government had plans to install new transmitters at a cost of US$3.4m funded by World Bank. The project kicked off simultaneously at Arua and Lira stations and it was supposed to be rolled out to 10 stations in Uganda in 2002.

Three years ago, Bonfree Television Network (BTN) and Nile FM hired the satellite antenna at Shs2 million per month from 2004-2009. The British Broadcasting Corporation was using the Antennae as a relay station after it installed a transmitter at the station.
In a 2008 visit to the defunct sites to assess its state, the then Chairman Parliamentary Committee on ICT, Mr Edward Baliddawa said government must refurbish the satellite and MW transmitters to improve communication that is crucial in trade boost across the district and neighboring countries.