The Committee of Commissions Statutory and State Enterprises (COSASE) has summoned the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Jenifer Bamuturaki, to appear in person tomorrow without fail.
“Where as your attendance is required to give evidence as a witness before the committee to discuss the report of Auditor General on Uganda National Airline Company for Financial year 2021/22,” part of the summon reads.
The summon follows Bamuturaki’s failures to attend committee proceedings earlier today. Bamuturaki asked COSASE to postpone their meetings to a later date in September.
According to a letter to MPs, Bamuturaki requested that the probe into the airlines operations by COSASE be done without the media. “The current publications about the Airline are ruining its reputation,” she claimed.
Bamuturaki is hosting Mr. Abderahmane Berthé, the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) Secretary General. The two are paving a way for strategic cooperation in areas that accelerate African Air transport growth to play bigger roles on a global scene.
Bamuturaki is under scrutiny over lack of academic documents. According to COSASE, Bamuturaki has no academic transcript and the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) result slip despite all claims that she graduated in 1994.
The MPs claim that the CEO of Uganda Airlines has to have among others a Bachelor’s degree and a post graduate-diploma. However the Airline CEO Jennifer didn’t meet the minimum academic requirements at the time of appointment. She only had a B.A SWASA and lacked post graduate training.
In 2018, Uganda mooted an idea to revive its airline and hence ordered four Bombardier CRJ900 regional Aircrafts. In 2020, the government of Uganda received four Bombardier CRJ900 regional Aircrafts that were ordered by Uganda National Airlines Company in July 2018 and two airbuses which were delivered in 2020 and 2021.
Following the arrival of airbuses, the country launched its long-range operations with non-stop intercontinental flights to the Middle East, Europe and Asia.
Established in May 1976, Uganda Airlines, started operations in 1977 and was liquidated in May 2001 after efforts to privatize the company failed due to massive debts it had incurred.
Uganda Airlines is competing with Africa’s best such as South Africa Airways, Ethiopian Airways, Kenya Airways, Rwandair and others on the continent, not forgetting International ones such as Emirates Airways, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airways among others that land at Entebbe International Airport.
