Uganda Airlines Chief Executive Officer Jenifer Bamuturaki is set to exit the national carrier following months of mounting scrutiny over governance failures, financial management and persistent operational disruptions that eroded confidence in her leadership.
Multiple government and airline sources confirm that the Uganda Airlines Board is preparing to advertise the position of Chief Executive Officer, effectively bringing to an end a tenure that has come under intense pressure from State House and law enforcement agencies.
In an internal communication circulated to staff this week, Bamuturaki informed employees that the board would soon open the position to applicants.
“The Board will advertise the position of Chief Executive Officer shortly, and you are all encouraged to apply if you meet the required qualifications,” she wrote in a memo seen by Eagle Online.
Although no official exit date has been announced, insiders say the decision was sealed during a tense State House meeting in September 2025 when President Yoweri Museveni summoned Uganda Airlines’ top leadership over concerns surrounding aircraft procurement, financial performance and unresolved audit queries.
Sources familiar with the meeting say the President was unimpressed by explanations offered by management and abruptly ordered Bamuturaki out of the session, signalling a sharp loss of confidence in her leadership. From that point, scrutiny of the airline intensified, with Museveni later directing that her contract should not be extended and instead ordering the board to advertise the position.
The leadership transition has unfolded quietly but now coincides with an escalating criminal investigation into Uganda Airlines’ financial operations.
In a letter dated January 7, 2026, the Criminal Investigations Directorate, working jointly with the State House Anti Corruption Unit, demanded extensive documentation relating to alleged abuse of office, embezzlement of funds and false accounting involving airline officials.
“The Criminal Investigations Directorate, in liaison with the State House Anti Corruption Unit, is currently investigating a case of abuse of office, embezzlement of funds and false accounting against officials of Uganda Airlines relating to financial transactions,” the letter reads.
Investigators have requested certified copies of the national airline business and implementation plan, the 2024 2025 budget, contracts committee minutes approving aircraft purchases, procurement files for fuel suppliers, aircraft leasing firms and ticketing agents, as well as revenue accounting, banking and cash receipt records. CID has also demanded internal audit reports and expenditure details linked to the launch of the airline’s London route.
The investigations come against a backdrop of worsening operational performance that has steadily damaged the airline’s public image. Over the past year, Uganda Airlines has faced repeated flight cancellations and delays at Entebbe International Airport, leaving passengers stranded with limited communication from airline staff. The disruptions sparked widespread criticism on social media and renewed questions about the carrier’s operational capacity.
In December, the airline acknowledged the disruptions, attributing them to technical challenges affecting parts of its fleet and capacity constraints linked to its limited number of aircraft. Bamuturaki apologised to passengers, arguing that airlines with small fleets are particularly vulnerable to disruptions when even a single aircraft is grounded for maintenance.
Despite the explanations, public dissatisfaction continued to grow, with critics describing the airline’s performance as a sharp decline from earlier expectations following its revival in 2019. Questions have also persisted over disputed procurement decisions, rising operational costs and repeated audit warnings that insiders say were never fully addressed.
As the board prepares to advertise for a new chief executive, Uganda Airlines now faces one of the most difficult moments in its short history. The airline must stabilise operations, cooperate with ongoing investigations, and reassure passengers, staff, and regulators that accountability reforms are finally taking root as it attempts to restore confidence in the national carrier.
