Flying with Uganda Airlines is signing your death warrant

Uganda has had many wonders, one being that Uganda Airlines employs unqualified pilots at the expense of the safety of passengers. This is how far and alarming the level of corruption and nepotism under President Yoweri Museveni’s rule has reached.

“A number of Uganda Airlines officials have been accused of extorting money from job applicants, bungling procurement contracts, recruiting relatives, friends and church members across the network, maintaining ghost workers on the Airline’s payroll and giving jobs to unqualified pilots at the expense of the safety of passengers,” a recent report by the Inspector General of Government (IGG) revealed.

Investigations also revealed that Uganda Airlines’ officials employed pilots who qualified only to fly smaller aircrafts and without the mandatory experience of more than 500 flying hours. One example of an unqualified pilot is Alex Kakooza, who failed simulators course twice but was maintained on the pay roll. Even Museveni himself was left mesmerized and was heard asking, “Is this normal is aviation?”

 Museveni is said to have directed Gen Katumba Wamala to scout for  a commercial director, preferably an expatriate with international experience either in Africa or in other parts of the world, who would restructure the commercial department of Uganda Airlines and align the business arm of the national carrier to the standard of a long-haul network operation. 

However, political analysts opine that Museveni is a person who deceives people many times, and latter forgets and deceives himself as well. The fact is that the root cause of the scandals at Uganda Airlines stems from the corruption and nepotism he propped up. So, what can a foreigner change in such a rotten system?  The suspended acting CEO, Cornwell Muleya, is a Zambian with vast  experience in the field of aviation. Insiders believe that Muleya could not manage to handle the highly connected corruption cartels within Uganda airlines. The hands of Museveni’s mafia bosses, like Sam Kuteesa and his brother Salim Saleh, run deep in the mismanagement of Uganda Airlines. A foreign commercial director, if hired, will face challenges as the same mafia gangs will not allow him or her to do the job professionally without interference.

The recently attempted assassination of the minister of works and transport Gen. Katumba Wamala is widely believed to be connected with Uganda Airlines saga and the highly connected mafia cartels.

It is therefore believed that the problems of corruption and nepotism that made Uganda Airlines a threat to the lives of Ugandans will continue to prevail as long as Museveni’s corrupt untouchables are still around. The same vice of corruption and nepotism has led to the death of many Ugandans suffering from Covid-19, for lack of oxygen when Museveni’s corrupt daughters and cronies enjoyed free tax payers’ money.

Investigations into the mismanagement of Uganda Airlines also revealed that the country is stuck with a bombardier CRJ 900 and an airbus 330-800 Neo aircrafts that have never been certified. The airline also purchased ground handling equipment at questionable prices and now they are lying idle and the Airline is paying heavily for ground rent and storage charges.  

When Uganda Airlines was liquated in 2011, its outstanding debt was estimated at the tune of more than $6 million. The old ghost at Uganda’s national carrier seems not to be dying anytime soon.  The difference is that this time, financial loss is likely to be accompanied with loss of lives due to the rampant corruption that prevails.

The King does not know that he is already naked. Those around him fear to mention so because he has given them chance to eat. In 2016,  Museveni woke up to realize Uganda was the only country in East Africa (except Burundi) that did not own an airline. 

He hurriedly announced the revival of Uganda Airlines after lamentations before his cabinet that it was “a big shame” for the country not to have a national carrier. Those who know Museveni well, say that he is a man typically known to be jealousy even on small things. The airline now seems to be a death trap not only to Ugandans but to foreigners as well. In Buganda we have a saying that ‘Nantabulirirwa yasabala bwa bbumba.’ Similarly flying with Ugandan airlines is like signing your own death warrant.