Uganda's presidential jet makes unexpected landing in US; Government speaks out

Uganda’s presidential jet has landed in the United States, sparking speculation after authorities gave no immediate official explanation for the trip.

The aircraft, registered as 5X-UGF, is a Gulfstream G550 operated by the Government of Uganda. It is mainly used for official state travel, including transporting President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

Reports about the aircraft’s movement were first highlighted by US-based Ugandan journalist Remmy Bahati, who cited flight tracking data from FlightAware. 

The data showed that the jet departed Uganda, made a stopover in Cape Verde, and later arrived in Savannah, Georgia. As of this publication, it had remained on the ground for more than 23 hours.

Presidential jets often signal high-level travel or matters linked to national security. In many countries, such planes are reserved strictly for the head of state or sensitive missions. Long-distance deployments, especially across continents, usually attract attention due to their nature and purpose.

Amid wild speculations, however, Government spokesperson Allan Kasujja responded to the reports, suggesting the trip could be linked to routine maintenance, but stopped short of confirming this.

“Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation is based in Savannah, Georgia. I’d take mine for routine service there if I had one,” he wrote.

Gulfstream Aerospace, the manufacturer of the G550 jet, is headquartered in Savannah, making it a key location for servicing and technical support for such aircraft.

President Museveni last used the jet on March 21, 2026, when he travelled to Kisumu for the launch of the Kisumu-Malaba Standard Gauge Railway extension project.

The government has not issued a formal statement clarifying whether the President is aboard the aircraft or confirming the exact purpose of the trip.