I would like to say it is rare for a national institution as symbolically important as a flag carrier to become the subject of both public frustration and formal criminal inquiry, but that is exactly where Uganda Airlines, once the pride of a resurgent African aviation agenda, finds itself at the start of 2026. In recent weeks, headlines have shifted from schedule disruptions and fleet strains to allegations of abuse of office, false accounting and embezzlement of funds, as Uganda’s Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) and State House Anti-Corruption Unit move beyond commentary and into action with a formal request for detailed financial records and procurement files from the airline’s leadership. What was, for many, a story of structural underperformance has now become an unequivocal indictment of executive mismanagement. It is a remarkable fall for a national carrier that, since its 2019 revival, has been as much a political project as an economic flagship. And as Uganda goes to the polls this week, it has become, in the eyes of the public, a symbol of what government ownership and control represents.
Comments are closed.