Uganda Airlines has formally launched the recruitment process for a new Chief Executive Officer, marking a pivotal moment for the national carrier as it seeks to steady itself after a turbulent period marked by operational disruption, public scrutiny, and serious governance concerns.
In a statement issued by the Chairperson of the Board, Mrs. Priscilla Mirembe Serukka, the airline confirmed that it is seeking a leader “who exudes competence and ethical values, ingrained in sound governance principles,” and who is prepared to engage stakeholders, restore internal cohesion, and turn around the company’s profitability. The Board has also committed to a recruitment process that will be “fair and transparent to all applicants.”
The announcement comes at a sensitive time for Uganda Airlines. Over recent months, the carrier has faced mounting criticism over service reliability, strategic direction, and management effectiveness. More damagingly, these challenges have been compounded by investigations into alleged financial mismanagement, which have significantly eroded public confidence in the airline’s executive leadership. Against this backdrop, the decision to recruit a new CEO reads less like a routine leadership transition and more like an acknowledgment that the status quo is no longer tenable.
The language of the Board’s statement is telling. Emphasis on ethical values, governance, and stakeholder engagement reflects a recognition that Uganda Airlines’ problems have extended beyond fleet economics or route performance. They have been institutional. A national carrier, particularly one backed by public funds, lives or dies by trust—trust from government, from employees, from financiers, and from the traveling public. Rebuilding that trust will be as central to the new CEO’s mandate as improving on-time performance or route profitability.
The scale of the challenge should not be underestimated. Uganda Airlines operates in one of the most structurally difficult aviation markets in the world. African carriers face high operating costs, fragmented markets, limited access to capital, and intense competition from better-resourced foreign airlines. Uganda Airlines’ business model, combining regional connectivity with long-haul ambitions demands disciplined execution, realistic network planning, and strong financial controls. It also demands a leadership style that can balance political expectations with commercial reality, a task that has undone many African flag carriers before it.
For anyone with genuine interest, HERE IS A LINK TO THE APPLICATION PORTAL
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