President Museveni has dismissed Uganda Airlines Chief Executive Jenifer Bamuturaki and is considering appointing a former Ethiopian Airlines chief executive to lead the national carrier, according to sources familiar with the decision.
Mr. Museveni, who last month ordered investigations into mismanagement of the airline, has decided to shake up its management entirely.
Sources say Museveni wants a leadership team that can operate without internal friction or political interference as the airline seeks to realise its commercial and strategic potential.
Bamuturaki’s exit had earlier been hinted at in an internal email she sent to staff, in which she informed employees that the airline’s board would soon advertise the position of Chief Executive and encouraged qualified internal candidates to apply.
“The Board will advertise the position of Chief Executive Officer shortly, and you are all encouraged to apply if you meet the required qualifications,” the email read, adding that the job description and application form would be published on the airline’s website.
Her departure comes after a period of sustained scrutiny. In 2024, Bamuturaki appeared before Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises, where she was asked to present her academic documents as part of the committee’s oversight of public entities.
While the appearance generated significant public debate, Uganda Airlines continued operating under her leadership until the latest decision.
The Uganda Airlines board has not yet issued a standalone public statement on the dismissal, but the internal communication to staff suggests that transition arrangements are already underway. The recruitment of a new chief executive is expected to be conducted through an open process.
The prospect of appointing a former Ethiopian Airlines chief executive reflects government’s interest in drawing from established African aviation leadership.
Ethiopian Airlines is widely regarded as the continent’s most successful carrier, with a strong record in operational efficiency, fleet expansion, and profitability.
For staff at Uganda Airlines, the impending vacancy presents both uncertainty and opportunity, as internal candidates are expected to be allowed to compete for the position.
For the wider public, the leadership change marks another critical moment for the national carrier, which has in recent years balanced ambitious expansion plans with financial pressures and governance scrutiny.
The timing of the appointment and whether the next chief executive will be drawn from within Uganda Airlines or from outside the organisation is yet to be announced.
The President was grateful for the whistle blowing role Bamuturaki had previously played helping him understand what had gone wrong at the newly revamped national airliner (as of that time Bamuturaki was serving as the Director Commercial Services under CEO Cornwell Muleya who was a Zambian expatriate). Secondly, the President felt obliged to deploy Bamuturaki because of who her father was.
Bamuturaki Senior, her dad, had been one of the opposition MPs who vigorously stood up to the Milton Obote dictatorship of the early 1980s and paid a price for it, with his own life. He was assassinated and his killing greatly helped in publicizing the struggle against the UPC and Obote II administration.
The President, whose recommendation was complied with by the Board and the leadership at the line Ministry of Works & Transport, did indicate his wish to have the job advertised and openly competed for after Bamuturaki’s first 3-year contract period expired on 17th July 2025. That was the deal and, indeed, Bamuturaki’s time ran out on 17th July this very year.
Her supporters expected that the President was going to be as magnanimous as he was on the first contract. Instead, the man from Rwakitura minded his business and remained ambivalent without exhibiting any extension enthusiasm as was the case on the first occasion.
Nilepost and Mulengera
