UPDF Col. Ham Kaija Atwoki, the Police Air Wing commandant doesn’t have a Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) the minimum academic credential which at least any Ugandan must possess if he or she carries a public office.
But Col Atwoki, an NRA combatant must be one of those privileged citizens to command such a sensitive security docket although his credentials are lacking.
Whereas, he found his way into this office at Kajjansi, he has since run it down due to the absence of required competences, which has derailed the aviation police and its workers.
“As any commander who knows that he lacks the papers to fully assert his skills on this job. He has made sure that he uses an iron hand on all officers he perceives as a threat,” said a source who asked to be protected for fear of facing Col. Kaija’s wrath.
Mr Kaija was recruited into Uganda Police by the former IGP Kale Kayihura, whose mode of appointment and promotion was premised on technical know who not merit.
Col. Kaija and Kayihura were friends since the NRA bush war.
Upon entering police, Kaija was under ASP Eng. Charles Onen who then headed the Air Wing.
Those known to Onen say he is very qualified since he is an engineer and also possessed all the three licenses required by Civil Aviation to be fully operate an aircraft.
A source said Col. Kaija fought Open until he took over his job.
A source said that Col. Kaija only has Private Pilot License (PPL) the minimum license in the aviation industry.
And yet he must fully have the Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) and also a Commercial License.
“At a time of joining the Police Air Wing, Col Kaija didn’t have the PPL he got it after. Yet he had been flying choppers,” a source added.
There is growing dissatisfaction in Uganda Police over Kaija’s leadership particularly on why the Police aircrafts remain grounded and not operational but continue to waste taxpayers money through maintenance and workers’ salaries
“He only has 5 aircrafts but has failed to manage them. You rarely see the police aircrafts in service,” added an official.
This website understands that Uganda Police could soon lose an aircraft which was flown to Nairobi for inspection. The process takes 2 weeks, but it is now a year, and no one is accountable.
Col. Kaija couldn’t provide details of this aircraft as he couldn’t answer our repeated calls when we rang his known phone number to expound on among others, the issue of his academic papers.
Further TrumptNews established that Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has rejected to award Col. Kaija’s administration AMO – Approved Maintenance Organization certificate because he (Kaija) couldn’t submit his qualifications required by aviation authority.
Sources say he tendered in only his bio data. This website is yet to verify this claim.
CAA spokesperson Vianney Luggya when contacted for a comment on why Police Air Wing has failed to get AMO certificate he said: “what I can confirm is that the AMO certification process is ongoing, but the regulator is not at liberty to provide specific details of an operator’s progress.”
“That information can best be provided by the operator themselves, in this case Police Air Wing,” he said.
