Uganda Airlines officials who failed to appear before Parliament’s Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) are now facing forced summons, with the committee directing CID officers attached to Parliament to track down and compel more than seven current and former officials to appear.
The dramatic move came on Monday after officials from the national carrier failed to honour a COSASE summons to respond to questions arising from the committee’s inspection of Entebbe International Airport last week.
COSASE Chairperson Muwada Nkunyingi adjourned the proceedings until Thursday at 8:00am, directing that the officials summoned through the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) appear before the committee and answer questions concerning the airline’s operations.
Among those targeted are former and interim chief executive officers, signalling that the committee intends to go beyond the airline’s current management and examine decisions made under previous administrations.
The latest confrontation adds another layer to an already troubled accountability battle surrounding Uganda Airlines, which has faced repeated parliamentary scrutiny over its management, financial performance, procurement and governance.
Officials ordered to appear by force
The decision to involve CID follows the committee’s physical inspection of Entebbe International Airport last Thursday, where MPs examined aviation infrastructure and operational issues linked to findings in the Auditor General’s report.
The inspection formed part of a wider COSASE inquiry into Uganda’s aviation sector, following concerns over management and procurement at the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority and the national carrier.
The committee has taken an increasingly hard line against government accounting officers and senior officials who fail to appear when summoned.
On August 19, Parliament Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth warned accounting officers that appearing before parliamentary committees is a constitutional obligation and not a matter of convenience.
The Speaker’s warning came after COSASE’s own proceedings against the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority stalled when substantive Director General Fred Bamwesigye failed to appear, with lawmakers rejecting his deputy’s attempt to represent him without satisfactory proof of the authority to do so.
COSASE has now extended that tough approach to Uganda Airlines.
Airport inspection exposed fresh questions
During last week’s inspection of Entebbe International Airport, MPs examined baggage-handling systems, security scanners, power infrastructure and fire-fighting equipment.
The inspection followed concerns raised in the Auditor General’s 2024/25 report, including approximately Shs17.4 billion in idle assets and delayed procurements.
At the new terminal, the committee found that baggage scanners had not been installed and was told that some equipment had either not been procured or had not yet been delivered. At the old terminal, MPs also found problems with the main scanner, forcing staff to revert to manual operations when the equipment malfunctioned.
COSASE chairperson Nkunyingi warned that procurement delays could expose taxpayers to additional costs as equipment prices change.
The committee is now demanding explanations from Uganda Airlines officials as it digs deeper into the management of the country’s aviation assets and national carrier.
Uganda Airlines already under intense scrutiny
The latest summons come at a particularly sensitive moment for Uganda Airlines.
The national carrier has undergone repeated leadership changes since its revival, with former CEO Jennifer Bamuturaki leaving the position in February 2026. The airline’s board subsequently moved to recruit a new substantive CEO, while former Ethiopian Airlines boss Girma Wake was brought in as an adviser and acting CEO during the transition.
The leadership instability comes against a backdrop of years of parliamentary criticism.
In 2022, an earlier COSASE investigation into Uganda Airlines recommended action against current and former officials over alleged mismanagement, procurement irregularities and other governance failures. MPs at the time raised questions over the airline’s losses and management systems.
Former CEO Cornwell Muleya, who previously appeared before COSASE, told MPs in 2022 that the airline could not break even without properly implementing its business plan. He also raised questions about the airline’s route network, utilisation of aircraft and management systems.
Fresh Shs1.6bn audit alarm
The new COSASE probe is also unfolding as fresh allegations of financial irregularities emerge inside Uganda Airlines.
An internal audit reported this month alleged that the national carrier lost about Shs1.6 billion during the 2024/25 financial year, citing weaknesses including inadequate planning, undelivered contracted items, budget overruns, unjustified expenditure, payments made without purchase orders and procurement undertaken without valid contracts.
The audit reportedly recommended disciplinary action against several officials over the alleged financial losses.
The developments raise questions about whether the problems confronting Uganda Airlines are isolated administrative failures or symptoms of deeper weaknesses in financial controls, procurement and corporate governance.
The airline describes itself as Uganda’s flagship national passenger and cargo carrier, with ambitions to expand into Southern Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.
Yet the repeated parliamentary probes, leadership changes and fresh audit concerns have placed renewed pressure on the government to demonstrate that billions of shillings invested in the national carrier are being properly managed.
Thursday showdown
With CID officers now tasked with securing their attendance, Thursday’s COSASE session could become a major test of accountability at Uganda Airlines.
The committee wants the former and interim bosses, alongside other officials, to explain decisions taken under their watch and respond to issues emerging from the airport inspection.
For Uganda Airlines, the message from COSASE is unmistakable: senior officials will no longer be allowed to simply stay away when Parliament comes calling.
The committee is expected to resume the inquiry at 8:00am on Thursday, when the summoned officials are required to appear and account for the airline’s operations.
