Uganda moves to amend Chinese loan agreement

Uganda is seeking to amend a loan agreement it signed with China in 2015 to ensure that it doesn’t lose control of the nation’s only international airport. Kampala borrowed $200m from the Export-Import Bank of China to expand the Entebbe airport. Among the clauses that the government wants to change is the need for the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority to seek approval from the Chinese lender for its budget and strategic plans. The Monitor reported that another rule mandates that any dispute between the parties will have to be resolved by the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission. A report on the News24 site notes that a spokesperson for Uganda’s aviation regulator denied that the Chinese lender had taken over the airport.