Uganda has made its most consequential intervention yet in the affairs of its national carrier, appointing Girma Wake, the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, to oversee an executive transition at Uganda Airlines.
The appointment was confirmed following a meeting this week between President Yoweri Museveni and Wake at State House. According to accounts of the meeting, the President directly tasked the veteran aviation leader with stabilising the airline and restoring confidence in its leadership, reportedly telling him: “We have this big problem at Uganda Airlines and I have been convinced you are the right person to help us. Please go in and sort out the mess.”
The comes after months of mounting public criticism over service disruptions, operational reliability, and serious governance concerns that have culminated in the exit of the airline’s Chief Executive Officer and the opening of a fresh recruitment process.
A heavyweight choice in a moment of crisis
Girma Wake is one of the most respected figures in African aviation. During his tenure as CEO of Ethiopian Airlines from 2004 to 2011, he is widely credited with laying the foundations for the airline’s transformation into a profitable, globally competitive carrier. Under his leadership, Ethiopian expanded aggressively but methodically, modernising its fleet, strengthening governance, professionalising management, and embedding a long-term strategic culture that would later underpin its rise as Africa’s largest airline.
By turning to Wake, Uganda is effectively importing a governance and leadership template that has worked before on the continent—at a time when confidence in Uganda Airlines’ internal systems has been badly shaken.
In his interim role, Wake is expected to do more than offer advice. His mandate includes leading a comprehensive executive transition, overseeing the recruitment of a new substantive Chief Executive Officer and senior management team, and assembling a transitional leadership structure capable of stabilising day-to-day operations while longer-term decisions are made.
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