Works and Transport Minister Fred Byamukama has directed Uganda Airlines to immediately terminate the employment of its Chief Finance Officer, Allan Joel Kyeyune, following questions over whether he meets the legal and professional requirements for the position.
In a letter dated November 6, 2026, addressed to Uganda Airlines Acting Chief Executive Officer Girma Wake, Byamukama said the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda (ICPAU) had confirmed that Kyeyune was not registered as a member of the professional body which raised questions about his eligibility to head the airline’s finance department.
The minister said he had also made independent inquiries and established that the position of chief finance officer requires a recognised professional accountancy qualification in accordance with Uganda’s laws.
“I have also done my underground check and I am informed that for someone to become a chief finance officer at Uganda Airlines, they must be a certified professional accountant here in Uganda,” Byamukama wrote.
He instructed the airline’s management to establish who was responsible for recruiting Kyeyune if membership of ICPAU was a mandatory requirement for the position.
“If it is true it (ICPAU) was a requirement and he does not have the qualification, let me know who recruited him. Putting in mind that Ugandan laws do not work backwards or forward, Kyeyune should be terminated and the vacancy readvertised immediately,” the minister directed.
The directive follows an earlier communication from ICPAU Chief Executive Officer Derrick Nkajja, who wrote to Uganda Airlines on August 10, 2026, questioning Kyeyune’s professional standing.
In a subsequent explanation, ICPAU said its review of the professional register had established that Kyeyune was not a member of the institute as required for the position.
“Upon reviewing our register, we found that Kyeyune is not a member of ICPAU, as required by law. We, therefore, highlight this matter to you for your action,” Nkajja said.
The institute has since reiterated the need for employers, particularly public institutions, to verify the professional credentials and practising status of people appointed to head finance, accounts and internal audit departments.
According to ICPAU, the Accountants Act, 2013 gives it the mandate to regulate the accountancy profession, register practitioners and issue certificates of practice. The law also requires heads of finance departments in public interest entities to satisfy the prescribed professional requirements.
ICPAU has further clarified that undergoing accountancy training or obtaining academic qualifications does not automatically grant someone the legal authority to practise as an accountant.
Uganda Radio Network previously reported that Kyeyune had received accountancy training at Multitech Business School and graduated from the Chief Finance Officer Academy of MAT Abacus. However, the institute maintained that professional registration and licensing requirements must still be fulfilled.
The latest development adds to a series of questions surrounding Kyeyune’s management of the airline’s financial affairs.
In August, questions also emerged over the reporting structure of Uganda Airlines’ procurement department after documents indicated that the procurement function had been reporting to the chief finance officer instead of directly to the accounting officer, who is the chief executive officer.
The Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) Executive Director, Benson Tiryamye, reportedly clarified that the head of procurement should report directly to the chief executive officer.
The controversy also followed the departure of former procurement director Alex Odwong, whose contract expired in January 2026 after the airline declined to renew it.
Kyeyune has also featured in an internal audit report that exposed procurement irregularities worth Shs1.6 billion during the 2024/2025 financial year. The report recommended disciplinary action against him and Uganda Airlines’ Manager for Corporate Affairs and Public Relations, Shakila Rahim Lamar, over their respective roles in the management of a communications and branding contract.
The audit identified questionable contract awards, payments made without purchase orders, expenditure exceeding approved budgets and gaps in documentation to demonstrate that some contracted services had been delivered.
The revelations have added to scrutiny of governance, financial management and accountability at the national carrier, which was revived in 2019 and continues to receive government support as it expands its operations.
In August, Kyeyune was still publicly identified as the airline’s Chief Finance Officer when he joined Girma Wake and other senior executives in briefing Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba on Uganda Airlines’ strategic expansion plans.
