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The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) is set to dismiss 82 employees who were found to have submitted forged academic qualifications during their recruitment.
This move follows a directive from President Yoweri Museveni, dated June 25, ordering the Ministry of Works and Transport to act against widespread inefficiency and corruption at UCAA.
In his letter, the President noted that an investigation had uncovered 152 unqualified staff and directed that both the employees and those responsible for their recruitment should be dismissed.
The directive was issued following a verification exercise that revealed inconsistencies in several employees' academic records.
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UCAA staff
UCAA staff
UCAA staff
Internal UCAA documents indicate that out of 2,688 academic documents reviewed, 82 cases were confirmed as forgeries.
Disciplinary hearings have already been held for most of the implicated individuals.
UCAA acknowledged the issue in its communication to the ministry and explained that the verification was initiated internally after irregularities were detected within the support staff ranks.
The Authority said the process is being handled with sensitivity, fairness, and in line with HR policies.
However, the development has been further complicated by allegations from a whistleblower who claimed that many of the implicated staff were hired during Fred Bamwesigye Kanyangoga’s tenure as Director of Human Resource and Administration.
Bamwesigye now serves as UCAA’s Director General.
The report also raised doubts about the authenticity of his own academic records, citing inconsistencies in his date of birth and primary education history.
It alleged that different birth dates were used to bypass the age cap for certain positions and referenced similar concerns raised by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as far back as 2011.
UCAA has dismissed the claims against Bamwesigye as recycled and lacking substance, noting that the allegations had previously been investigated and dismissed by the Inspectorate of Government and courts of law.
A 2021 civil suit was cited as having cleared him of any wrongdoing.
The Authority attributed early record discrepancies to clerical errors made during his school years, which were later corrected.
The list of affected employees cuts across departments such as aviation security, air navigation, finance, and administration.
While some staff are close to retirement or on short-term contracts, UCAA acknowledged that the dismissals pose challenges due to the technical nature of the roles.
Nonetheless, the Authority stressed that integrity in the aviation sector is non-negotiable.
The situation has attracted public attention, particularly with emerging reports suggesting that some of those implicated may have ties to senior government figures.
Despite these concerns, UCAA has reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, due process, and full adherence to the President’s directive.