Africa-Press – Uganda. Renowned journalist and author Arinaitwe Rugyendo has raised fresh concerns about governance failures at Uganda Airlines, saying the national carrier’s current crisis was visible long before the latest leadership shake-up.
Speaking during NBS Media Roundtable on Friday, Rugyendo argued that mistakes were evident at the very beginning of the airline’s revival, particularly in how protocols and institutional processes were handled.
“Time is the best ally in some things. When discussions about Uganda Airlines started, you could see mistakes right from the start. You can’t afford to joke about protocols and processes when it comes to entities like a national airline,” Rugyendo said.
He added that the warning signs should have attracted closer scrutiny much earlier, including from the media, which he said failed to interrogate red flags in time.
“Any serious journalist who knows a good story should have gotten concerned about Uganda Airlines much earlier,” he said.
Rugyendo dismissed suggestions that the airline’s problems are mainly technical or the result of managerial incompetence, instead pointing to financial governance issues repeatedly highlighted in official audits.
“I don’t think the problems at Uganda Airlines are down to competence. Money has been siphoned off, if you read the Auditor General’s reports,” he said.
His remarks come as Uganda Airlines enters a critical transition period following the departure of Chief Executive Jenifer Bamuturaki, whose tenure ended amid investigations by the Criminal Investigations Directorate and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit.
Bamuturaki stepped aside after President Yoweri Museveni ordered probes into alleged mismanagement at the state-owned airline, a move that has reignited debate over whether Uganda Airlines’ challenges stem from individual leadership failures or deeper structural weaknesses.
In recent days, speculation has intensified over the possible appointment of a former Ethiopian Airlines chief executive to lead Uganda Airlines. However, the Office of the President clarified that no appointment has been made, following a wave of social media posts prematurely announcing a new CEO.
The clarification followed a high-profile meeting at State House Entebbe, where former Ethiopian Airlines chief executive Girma Wake met President Museveni to discuss aviation management and share insights from his decades-long experience in the sector.
After the meeting, some government officials shared photographs with Wake and suggested he had been appointed, prompting a formal correction from the President’s office.
Bamuturaki’s exit follows years of sustained scrutiny of Uganda Airlines. Auditor-General reports have repeatedly flagged weak governance structures, including the absence of an approved staff establishment, salary disparities, and persistent financial losses.
In 2024, Bamuturaki appeared before Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises, where she was asked to present her academic documents as part of parliamentary oversight of public entities.
Despite the controversy, the airline continued operating under her leadership until the latest developments.
As the search for new leadership continues, industry experts caution that replacing top management alone will not resolve the airline’s challenges.
They warn that unless governance frameworks are strengthened and the carrier is insulated from political interference, any incoming leadership may confront the same structural problems.
Uganda Airlines, revived in 2019 as a flagship national project, currently operates a fleet of seven aircraft across 17 regional and international destinations from its hub at Entebbe International Airport.
The airline now faces a defining moment as government weighs reforms aimed at restoring public confidence and achieving financial sustainability.
Source: Nilepost News
