Africa-Press – Uganda. The Office of the President has clarified that no appointment has been made to the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Uganda Airlines, following a flurry of social media posts that suggested otherwise.
Senior Presidential Press Secretary Sandor Walusimbi posted on X on Thursday, stressing that any claims of a new CEO are false.
“Hi folks! It is not true that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has appointed anyone to the position of CEO of Uganda Airlines,” Walusimbi wrote.
“The public is advised to disregard all social media messages claiming otherwise.”
The clarification comes after former Ethiopian Airlines CEO Girma Wake met President Museveni at State House Entebbe on Wednesday to discuss aviation management and share insights from his decades of experience in the sector.
Following the meeting, some government functionaries shared photo opportunities with Wake and prematurely announced his appointment.
Your and Children’s Affairs minister Balaam Barugahara, for instance, described Wake as one of Africa’s top aviation experts and suggested that President Museveni had already appointed him to “sort out the mess” at Uganda Airlines, praising the decision on social media.
His post left no doubt that Mr Wake’s suggested appointment.
Similarly, veteran journalist and State House hangers-on Andrew Mwenda shared a post highlighting Wake’s visit, writing: “Finally, President @KagutaMuseveni met Girma Wake, former Ethiopian Airlines CEO, with my grandson Robert Kateera.
“Wake will help us manage the transition from the current corrupt and incompetent management to a new one. We shall also need an entirely new administrative approach to managing Uganda Airlines.”
While the posts generated excitement online, the Presidency confirmed that no CEO has been appointed. Reports indicate that Wake, 82, may serve in an advisory or interim capacity while participating in the search for a permanent chief executive.
Uganda Airlines has formally advertised the CEO position, seeking a “visionary and results-oriented” leader over 60 years old to guide the carrier’s next phase of growth.
The national airline, revived in 2019, operates a fleet of seven aircraft across 17 regional and international destinations from its hub at Entebbe International Airport.
Uganda Airlines is considered vital for trade, tourism, regional connectivity, and projecting Uganda’s national brand.
The President’s office urged the public and media to rely on official communications as the process to appoint a new CEO continues, warning against jumping to conclusions based on social media speculation.
