The Ministry of Works and Transport has requested that Parliament approve a supplementary budget of Shs1.696 trillion, including Shs422.264 billion as the initial payment for the purchase of 10 new aircraft for Uganda Airlines.
The request was presented by Minister of Works and Transport Gen. Katumba Wamala during an appearance before Parliament’s Budget Committee on December 1, 2025, as MPs prepared for debate on Supplementary Schedule Two in the next plenary session.
Gen. Katumba revealed that the national carrier is expanding its fleet to strengthen regional and international routes.
“Uganda Airlines [is] in the process of acquiring 10 aircrafts comprising of four mid-range or narrow-body Airbus models, four wide-body Boeing aircraft and two Boeing converted freighters for cargo,” Gen. Katumba said.
He added that the supplementary budget is to cater for the projected initial requirements for the aircraft purchase for this financial year 2025/2026.
He explained that the requested funds include mandatory early payments to secure the aircraft production slots.
“It includes pre-delivery payments at the purchaser agreement signature amounting to Shs247.019 billion, and a shared Shs275.245 billion for the pre-delivery payment required in January 2026 from both manufacturers Boeing and Airbus,” he said.
The minister defended the urgency, noting that global demand for new aircraft is extremely high.
“We are buying just this, but when you look at companies like Qatar, they have made an order for 465 aircraft with Boeing,” Gen. Katumba noted.
He added, “If you don’t pay for your slot, then you’ll never get these aircraft. The most important thing is to secure our slot now so that we know when to finish the payment.”
However, MPs demanded assurances that the new fleet will not face the same challenges experienced after the airline’s revival.
Otuke County MP Paul Omara raised concerns about past procurement decisions.
“You remember the Bombardier we bought, later on we discovered that there were no spare parts, they were no longer in production, and I don’t know what we are going to do with those aircraft,” Omara said.
He added, “We would want assurance from you and the team that this procurement will come with future support for those 10 aircraft.”
Parliament is expected to debate and take a decision on the supplementary request in its next sitting.
