By Davis Mwesigwa

A report to Works and Transport Minister, Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, has it that Shs 778 million was spent on feeding 600 guests who attended an event to receive the first aircrafts, CRJ900 Bombardier, in 2019 at the Entebbe International Airport.

In a 6 page report, Perez Ahabwe, the Chairman – Uganda National Airlines Company Limited says the expenditure was on meals alone.

According to Ahabwe, the expenditure means that Shs 1.29 million was spent on each guest, amounting to Shs 778 million.

“This was excessive and there was no value for money,” Ahabwe wrote on October 22, 2021.

 Ahabwe quotes a report by former Airlines’ Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Cornwell Muleya that: “Apart from the poor performance on marketing activities, the Company had issues of over invoicing, non-payment of subcontracted media houses and other supplies for services arranged even without permission from the Airlines Accounting Officer at the time.”

Some of these issues, Ahabwe says were cited in 2019.

According to Ahabwe, the Board had on October 24, 2019 sat and under Minute 6 (viii), considered the report on staff appraisal and approved the recommendation from management to terminate the contract of Jenifer Bamuturaki Musiime at the end of her probation.

Musiime is the Ag. CEO Uganda Airlines.

“There are other numerous but seemingly small issues that can easily bring down an otherwise promising Uganda Airlines,” Ahabwe warns and concludes: “I beg that you act decisively on the matter before the situation gets out of hand.”

Original story published November 4, 2021 by MediaScape News