DDM – The $300 million Akon International Airport project in Warrap State has been halted after an official investigation revealed substandard construction quality.
The Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Justice had awarded the contract in 2022 to Wunkoc Construction, a company owned by Bak Mayen of Twic County, without a competitive bidding process.
Sources and documents reviewed by Radio Tamazuj indicate that the initial phase of construction achieved only an 8% quality rating, prompting authorities to cancel the project.
The airport, intended to serve Akon, the hometown of President Salva Kiir, was also expected to provide electricity and amenities to nearby villages, as part of its original $300 million budget.
A source familiar with the project explained that approximately $100 million would have been sufficient to make the airport operational, with the remaining funds allocated for village power and facilities.
The airport concept was reportedly initiated by Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, then vice-president for the service cluster, and received President Kiir’s approval. Mr. Akol now serves as the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security.
The project aimed to improve connectivity between Aweil, Twic, and Gogrial, while facilitating the export of gum Arabic and other local produce.
Construction began in August 2023, with Wunkoc Construction receiving $42 million in crude oil as initial funding.
The company began site preparation, backfilling, sand-testing laboratory construction, fencing, and transporting murram soil from Aweil South County.
Civil engineering work was subcontracted to Ethiopian and Sri Lankan companies. However, by June 2024, progress had stalled.
Victor Wek Koordit, Commissioner of Gogrial West County, reported that construction had stopped and the contractor had not provided updates, suggesting funding issues might be a factor.
Following public complaints over project delays, the government initiated an inquiry conducted by Kilimanjaro Consultancy and the Ministry of Transport.
After a week-long field inspection, investigators concluded that the work completed by Wunkoc Construction was of extremely poor quality, leading to the cancellation of the contract.
A government source said the company was “unhappy” with the decision, noting that monitoring and supervision had been difficult due to the contractor’s lack of cooperation.
Authorities confirmed that while cash flow issues existed, the primary reason for halting the project was the low standard of work delivered.
Plans are now underway to reopen the airport project to competitive bidding, with greater scrutiny of bidders to ensure quality construction and timely delivery.
The government emphasized that the airport remains a strategic initiative to connect Gogrial, Twic, and Aweil, and to boost local economic development.
Attempts to reach Wunkoc Construction for comment were unsuccessful, leaving questions about the company’s response to the termination of the high-profile project.
The cancellation underscores ongoing challenges in public infrastructure projects in South Sudan, particularly regarding contract oversight, political influence, and the quality of executed work.
