CORRUPTION! Top Uganda Airlines Bosses — Including Sacked CEO Jennifer Bamuturaki — Summoned

KAMPALA — Uganda Airlines has been thrust back into the centre of parliamentary scrutiny after its senior officials failed to appear before the committee investigating concerns contained in the Auditor General’s 2025 report.

The officials had been expected at Parliament on Monday morning to answer questions concerning the national carrier’s finances, aircraft leasing arrangements, aviation fuel contracts and operations.

Instead, they did not show up.

The development prompted the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) to issue fresh summons, ordering the airline’s senior officials to appear before the committee on Thursday at 8am.

COSASE Chairperson Muwada Nkunyingi said the committee had formally invited the officials on August 20 and had confirmation that the communication had been received.

He said their failure to attend without notifying Parliament was unacceptable.

“I want to move and guide that this committee shall accordingly issue summons to Uganda Airlines to appear before the committee on Thursday at 8am. I want to further guide that this summons shall be served by police officers, because the officers of parliament were involved in serving the first invitation,” Nkunyingi said.

The summons target several key positions within Uganda Airlines, including the Accounting Officer, Contracts Committee chairperson, Manager Corporate Affairs and the Chief Executive Officer.

Both serving and former office holders have been included in the parliamentary inquiry, bringing former Uganda Airlines CEO Jennifer Bamuturaki into the spotlight as COSASE seeks explanations over issues flagged by the Auditor General.

Billions Under the Microscope

The committee’s interest goes beyond the officials’ failure to attend.

According to Nkunyingi, the Auditor General’s report raises a series of questions about the financial health and management of Uganda Airlines, including how the government’s investment in the carrier has been accounted for.

He said the report also contained observations requiring Parliament to examine the airline’s financial position more closely.

“Looking at the Auditor General’s observation, a lot of critical issues are highlighted which require interrogation by this committee. More importantly, when the Auditor General discloses that the airline is making losses, it has not captured the government of Uganda investment of 1.984 trillion. It has only captured 200 million as the organisation’s share capital. The areas have been fixed,” Nkunyingi said.

The committee will also interrogate the manner in which Uganda Airlines leases aircraft, an area Nkunyingi said had generated significant concerns.

“Issues of how these aircraft are leased have been highlighted. As I said, there is a burden on Uganda Airlines, especially the Dubai country office. People are holding cash without banking, and looking at the questions about aviation fuel, how they have contracts that accumulate charges and losses.”

The aviation fuel business is another area likely to receive intense scrutiny.

Nkunyingi said the audit raised concerns about fuel suppliers whose claims were not adequately supported, as well as penalties reportedly amounting to $1.782 billion.

He said questions remain over the basis for the penalties.

The audit report, according to Nkunyingi, also raises concerns about unpaid domestic arrears.

These issues could place the airline’s financial management and contractual arrangements under renewed parliamentary examination when the officials eventually appear.

Why the No-Show Matters

The Monday absence has acquired additional significance because of the troubled history of parliamentary scrutiny of Uganda Airlines.

During the 11th Parliament, a COSASE report on Uganda Airlines prepared under then committee chairperson Joel Ssenyonyi became the subject of controversy after it was leaked before being formally presented to Parliament.

The then Speaker, Anita Among, rejected and blocked the report on the grounds that its contents had reached the public before Parliament had officially received it.

The episode is now being invoked as COSASE prepares to reopen questions surrounding the airline.

Nkunyingi said the current committee was concerned about what he described as a previous attempt by Uganda Airlines officials to seek protection within Parliament rather than face scrutiny.

He warned that the present committee would not allow accounting officers to evade parliamentary accountability.

“We shall not [accept] continuous abuses without reason and without explanation by accounting officers. And now that there is a revelation that previously the airline made attempts to hide under the cover of parliament, and I am told some of the reports were never actually allowed to be presented on the floor of parliament, we are going to comb all these rules and ensure that we transact in a protected arrangement. We must bring on board both the office of the Speaker and the office of the member of parliament in line with the rules,” Mr Nkunyingi said.

Police to Serve Summons

By ordering police officers to serve the new summons, COSASE has signalled that it intends to take the attendance of the airline’s officials seriously.

Nkunyingi said Parliament’s own officers had already delivered the initial invitation, making the officials’ failure to appear particularly concerning to the committee.

The Thursday session will therefore put both current and former Uganda Airlines officials under pressure to explain the issues raised in the Auditor General’s report.

At stake are questions over the handling of public investment, aircraft leases, aviation fuel contracts, cash held by the airline’s Dubai office and other financial obligations.

The proceedings also mark a renewed attempt by Parliament to establish how Uganda Airlines has been managed and whether its financial and contractual arrangements have adequately protected public resources.

Meanwhile, acting Uganda Airlines acting CEO has presented a report to Museveni’s son Muhoozi, as detailed Here.

Meanwhile, top Uganda Airlines Officials are Under Fire as Audit Raises Questions Over Shs1.6bn Advertising Expenditure, as detailed Here.