The Uganda Police have come out to explain why they are moved to sell off the 9-seater 5XPEF/P180 PIAGO AVANTI, an aircraft which was bought in 2019 for shs28 billion to transport among other VIPs.
According to Fred Enanga, the Police spokesperson took journalists on a guided tour of the aircraft at the Police Airwing in Entebbe in a bid to ascertain the facts surrounding the aircraft.
Enanga said that despite being in good condition, the aircraft has been unable to fulfil its intended role of providing transportation services since its purchase.
“Since its acquisition, it has only accumulated a total flying time of 117 hours. This is because it is not suitable for non-tarmacked runways and requires costly mandatory inspections, insurance, and maintenance, yielding no benefits,” Enanga stated. “Moreover, the aircraft parts are prohibitively expensive due to its luxury classification.”
Recently, Members of Parliament questioned the reasoning behind procuring the aircraft, contending that it was a misuse of resources.
However, according to police officials, the aircraft was expected to generate revenue for the force through luxury transportation services.
Colonel Patrick Mbayo, the commander of the police airwing, clarified that the aircraft remains airworthy and capable of flying non-stop from Uganda to South Africa. Nevertheless, the decision to sell it off stemmed from its failure to deliver the anticipated value for money by not being utilized for transportation services as originally planned.
Fred Enanga, the police spokesperson, indicated that the matter was referred to the Internal Affairs Minister, who approved the disposal of the unserviceable aircraft and the procurement of a new compatible helicopter.
He elaborated that a board of survey inspected the aircraft on October 19, 2022, valuing it at $4.2 million. This valuation encompassed depreciated replacement cost, technical condition, market valuation, Blue book values, and estimated costs of replacing expired parts, which amounted to a minimum of $100,681.79. Notably, it was noted as the sole aircraft of its kind on the African continent.
“Therefore, replacing the fixed-wing aircraft will equip the Police Airwing with an additional operational and effective crime-fighting asset. Various aircraft types have been considered, with manufacturers and operational needs of the Uganda Police taken into account,” Enanga explained.
“It is the considered opinion of the police force that the Paggio Avanti 11 Evo be disposed of, and a new generation compatible aircraft be acquired through trade-in procurement, in adherence to PPDA laws and regulations.”
