)
)
Members of Parliament on the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) are threatening stern action against the leadership of Uganda Airlines after the national carrier’s top management, led by Chief Executive Officer Jenifer Bamuturaki, failed to appear for a scheduled meeting.
The team was meant to appear again today, Tuesday, before the committee to respond to queries raised in the Auditor General’s 2023/24 Report, but reportedly dodged the meeting without any official communication.
This failure to show up has angered the committee, which is now threatening to take action to compel their attendance.
The summons for today’s meeting was a continuation of Parliament's scrutiny into the airline's financial performance and operational challenges.
)
)
)
The Auditor General's report revealed a significant loss of Shs 237.8 billion for the national carrier in the 2023/24 financial year.
While this was an improvement from the previous year's figures, it still places the airline under intense pressure to account for its spending and demonstrate a clear path to profitability.
The committee's previous engagement with Bamuturaki last week also touched on the decision to retire the fleet of Bombardier CRJ 900 regional jets due to mounting maintenance challenges and a scarcity of spare parts.
Medard Lubega Ssegona
Chairperson Issues a Stern Warning
Following the no-show, the COSASE chairperson, Medard Lubega Ssegona, vowed that the committee would not tolerate such a blatant disregard for parliamentary summons.
“We summoned the group through the current accounting officer who has not shown up. She is the one to account,” Ssegona stated.
He added that while avoiding parliamentary scrutiny is a choice, it is one that comes with consequences.
Ssegona made it clear that the matter at hand goes far beyond the initial queries about aircraft spare parts and encompasses the "accountability for the entire budget" of the airline.
He has given a fresh directive for the Uganda Airlines team to appear on Wednesday at 9 am, threatening "stronger measures" should they fail to comply.
Miscommunication
Shakila Rahim Lamar, Head of Corporate Affairs & Public Relations- Uganda Airlines,
Shakila Rahim Lamar, Head of Corporate Affairs & Public Relations- Uganda Airlines, denied allegations that officials from the national Airline deliberately snubbed today's meeting with the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE).
She attributed the mishap to the mix-up in the communication between the entity and the Committee, claiming the Parliament's invitation had scheduled the said meeting at 12:00 PM, something that saw them arrive at 11:30 am.
"So it was a mix-up on time. This is regrettable, but we also apologise that we had that mix-up because we also want to have this hearing done and have some of these issues resolved and so that we can get back to the operation,” Rahim said.
Accountability for the Whole Budget
The parliamentary probe into Uganda Airlines' finances has been an ongoing effort to ensure fiscal discipline and transparency.
During her previous appearance, Bamuturaki had blamed a former CEO for the decision to purchase the CRJ jets in the first place, shifting accountability for the initial investment.