Uganda Airlines faces international ban over gross mismanagement, warns Mwenda

Uganda Airlines is teetering on the brink of an international aviation ban as allegations of financial impropriety and safety negligence reach a fever pitch. 

Experts warn that the national carrier risks being grounded or banned internationally within months if systemic issues are not urgently addressed. 

Veteran journalist Andrew Mwenda says unless radical changes are implemented within the next three months, the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) will be forced to ground the fleet or face global blacklisting by international regulators.

He noted that the carrier is currently violating International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) rules regarding competition and safety standards. 

“If we don’t do something at Uganda Airlines in the next 3 months, the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority will keep that airline flying at two costs: Either it must give it indirect subsidies which violates ICAO rules of competition or it must risk itself being banned,” he said.

“But ultimately, UCAA in the next 3-4 months has to ground Uganda Airlines. If they don’t ground it, the other parts of the world will not allow it to fly there.”

One of the most alarming allegations involve reports that the airline is not paying most of its service providers, including services essential for safety aspects of the airline.

“The aviation industry is so risky that any slight mistake, hundreds of people will fall out of the sky and die. Safety is so paramount that the industry is heavily regulated,” Mwenda noted.

In addition, concerning reports have emerged about the physical maintenance of the fleet. 

Mwenda revealed a disturbing trend of "cannibalisation," where parts are stripped from grounded aircraft to keep others operational. 

“We have 4 CRJs and this woman (CEO Jenifer Bamuturaki) cannot even organise to buy spare parts and what they have done is that they have grounded one and they are cannibaling another for spare parts. I have never seen anything like that,” Mwenda claimed.

The airline's ambitious expansion strategy has reportedly backfired due to a lack of equipment redundancy. With only two wide-body planes serving demanding routes to London, Dubai, Mumbai, Lagos, and Abuja, any mechanical fault leads to catastrophic delays. 

Mwenda noted that while standard industry delays are measured in hours, Uganda Airlines passengers are frequently stranded for days. 

This logistical overstretch is compounded by a leadership vacuum, with Mwenda describing the board as "non-functional" and the executive oversight as "incapable."

“You have a board that doesn't function, you have a parliament that cannot exercise oversight, you have a minister who is not capable of making a decision and a president who is absent.”

Financially, the airline is reportedly in a state of collapse. It is alleged that the carrier owes the UCAA approximately $70 million. These funds, which are collected from passengers as taxes and fees on tickets, have reportedly not been remitted to the authority.

Mwenda characterised this failure to pass on collected taxes as "theft," further straining the relationship between the carrier and the regulator. 

Recent reporting confirms that senior officials at Uganda Airlines are already facing criminal prosecution directives from President Yoweri Museveni following an audit that uncovered widespread corruption, collusion, and mismanagement within the airline’s board and executive ranks. 

Museveni instructed the Inspector General of Government (IGG) to pursue legal action against board members and management for alleged bribery, contract bungling, nepotism and undermining corporate governance.

Officials alleged to be implicated include board chair Perez Ahabwe and senior staff accused of contracting irregularities, improper training decisions and revenue misappropriation.