COSASE Questions UCAA Fire Truck Procurement

The procurement of a specialised fire-fighting vehicle by the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) at Sh5.3985 billion has come under scrutiny, with Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) demanding the full procurement file to establish how the cost was determined.

The committee questioned the expenditure on Tuesday while interfacing with UCAA officials over issues arising from the Auditor General’s audit of the authority. The scrutiny followed an earlier physical inspection of Entebbe International Airport, where MPs examined the vehicle but said UCAA had failed to provide documentation proving its ownership and procurement details.

UCAA later submitted a copy of the registration book for motor vehicle UA38070AA, showing that it was registered on June 22, 2026, with UCAA listed as the registered owner. The vehicle is identified as a Lion 6X6 Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) vehicle, manufactured in Turkey, fitted with a Scania engine and classified in the registration documents as an engineering plant.

However, the registration documents did not satisfy MPs’ concerns about the more than Sh5 billion cost of the vehicle. COSASE Chairperson Muwada Nkunyingi demanded an explanation of the price and the procurement process. “How much was this truck? How much did it cost? Who bought it?” Nkunyingi asked, before demanding details of the features that justified the price.

UCAA Director General Fred Bamwesigye defended the expenditure, saying the vehicle is not an ordinary fire truck but specialised equipment required to respond to emergencies involving aircraft. Samuel Wonekha, the Acting Director of Airports, said the vehicle is fitted with a water tank with a capacity of about 12,500 litres, foam equipment and specialised tools for accessing damaged aircraft and evacuating passengers.

He said the vehicle also has a specialised generator to power equipment used to cut through aircraft during rescue operations. UCAA officials told the committee that the fire vehicle was purchased at a lower cost than similar equipment acquired by other airports in the region after negotiations with suppliers.

The explanation, however, did not satisfy the committee, which said it wanted documentary evidence showing how the final price was arrived at rather than general descriptions of the vehicle’s functionality. The committee instructed its researchers to establish the market price of similar Lion 6X6 ARFF vehicles and compare it with UCAA’s procurement cost.

It also directed the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) to verify the authenticity of the registration documents and establish whether the vehicle belongs to UCAA. UCAA was ordered to submit the complete procurement file by close of business, including documents showing the procurement process, supplier, specifications, negotiations and final purchase price.

“We want to know how yours cost 5.3 billion. What is the uniqueness? How did you arrive at this cost?” the committee questioned. The committee also raised concerns over a transformer reportedly procured from Vietnam at about Sh2.3 billion but which had not been delivered by the time of the committee’s inspection.