UCAA to destroy unclaimed items at airport

The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) has issued a final call to members of the public, who lost property at Entebbe International Airport, to pick it up or it will soon be destroyed.

The properties include 20 mobile phones, 20 backpacks, 39 suitcases, two laptops, four Ipads and 30 small bags.

Others are clothes, watches, a camera, a blood pressure measuring machine, a baby carrier, a pressure cooker, Uganda national IDs (36), more than 10 Visa cards, birth certificates, driving permits and Yellow Fever vaccination certificates.

The UCAA said it is also in possession of Shs26,000, $215 and 930 Bangladesh taka, among others, that were left behind by travellers.

In a public notice seen by this publication, the authority said it is set to dispose of all lost and found items that will not be claimed by the end of July.

“This serves as a final reminder to members to pick the listed items from Aviation Security at Entebbe International Airport (with evidence of ownership),” the UCAA notice reads in part.

It added: “In case there are any items, which are not picked up by July 30, 2023, UCAA will be left with no option, but to proceed with disposing of the items.”

The aviation Authority suspects that such personal items could have been inadvertently left behind at the airport by the users of the facility.

In an interview with Daily Monitor yesterday, the UCAA spokesperson, Mr Vianney Luggya, said: “It is not our intention to dispose of these items, but we shall have no option because we are running short of storage space.”

He added that some of the items have been kept at the airport’s storage facility since 2020.

Mr Luggya said some of the items are left at the airport terminals, while others were forgotten in the airport car parking yard.

 “I cannot confirm whether these items were intentionally left behind by their owners because, why could some leave the national ID, Visa card or clothes behind? This could be caused by several factors, including rushing,” he said.

Mr Lugya could, however, not confirm whether the items include those intercepted from the suspected smugglers.