By Andrew Irumba
The cabinet minister for works and transport Gen.Edward Katumba Wamala has hailed the good leadership skills of Ag CEO Uganda Airlines Ms Jennifer Bamuturaki for leading the company not only through the turbulent times during which president Museveni sucked the entire Board with their top management technical team led by Cornwell Muleya, but also, the fact that she managed to pull it off during the Covid-19 pandemic where the Airlines all over the world were greatly affected by global travel restrictions.
Katumba said this on Friday while officiating at the official inauguration and swearing in ceremony of the new Board of Governors which took place at Hotel Africana, Kagera Hall. Katumba also took the opportunity to warn the new Board not to over their mandate and know their boundaries in as far as their mandate to the company is concerned.
“I want to thank the Ag CEO Ms Jenniffer Bamuturaki for steering the airline very well amidst most difficult times especially during the change of leadership period which were carried out by president Museveni and the Covid-19 period. Those were difficult times that the company times needed a very robust, steadfast and focused leadership, which you provided,” Katumba remarked.
He added thus: “I also want to advise the new Board, that don’t turn yourselves into day-today managers of the airline. Your role is advisory as a board. we’ve had these challenges in the past. Please separate your roles from those of the CEO of the airline, understand very well the purpose of separation of roles doctrine”.
The government of Uganda officially inaugurated the new board of governors for Uganda Airlines which had been hit badly by corruption and embezzlement scandals for years before the president suspended it including CEO Cornwel Muleya, who last week demanded for billions of money in compensation.
The new board is headed by Serukka, an administrator and agriculturalist who will lead a team of six other workaholic servants including; Ebrahim Kisoro Sadrudin, a retired pilot; Herbert Kamuntu, managing director of Kachain Logistics; Abdi Karim Moding, a senior field engineer and Barbara Mirembe Namugambe.
The old board was kicked out on accusations of extorting money from job applicants, bungling procurement contracts, recruiting relatives, friends and church members across the networks, maintaining ghost workers on the airlines’ payroll and giving jobs to unqualified pilots at the expense of the safety of passengers.
While inaugurating the new board, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala, tasked the new board to develop and execute a business plan for the national carrier but also showcases a high level of professionalism.
“There are pressing tasks that need to be addressed without delay. Ensure harmony between management and the board for timely decision making, as well as accountability, recruitment of the substantive chief executive officer, and the company secretary and strengthening the internal audit function in the company operations is very important,” said Katumba.
A recent report compiled by the State House investigations team on orders of President Museveni revealed that the ousted board members connived in a couple of acts that risked the re-collapse of the airline and these include;
1. The board’s involvement in recruitment that led to corruption.
2. Collusion with management in the recruitment of relatives and friends.
3. Flawed procurement and contracts mismanagement.
4. Poor risk analysis, management, implementation and follow-ups
5. The board’s involvement in the day to day operations- micromanagement of the Airline
6. Certification of Aircraft –inability to supervise the process as the board.
7. Ground handling wastage by the board
8. Aircraft maintenance organization.
9. The board approval of high costs/ expenses without due diligence due to self-interest.
10. The board‘s lack of a performance scorecard for the Senior Management team.
11. The board’s lack of functional and active committees.
12. Ignoring security vetting.
13. Retaining pilots that failed simulator training.
14. Reports of bribery solicitation among others.
As we report this, Uganda Airlines has since picked swift and commendable growth under the stewardship of tireless Ag.CEO, Jenifer Bamuturaki.
Since 2019, it has been operating in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, South Africa, South Sudan, and Tanzania before recently announcing Dubai flights that have boosted the country’s earnings in the aviation sector.
