Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) Director General Fred Bamwesigye has broken his silence following President Museveni’s recent directive to sack 152 UCAA staff over allegations of forged academic documents and irregular recruitment.
In a detailed letter to the State Minister for Works and Transport Fred Byamukama, Bamwesigye mounted a partial defense of the implicated employees, warning of the operational and institutional risks of a mass purge without due process.
In his communication accessed by the media Bamwesigye explains that the verification exercise of staff academic documents was initiated internally by UCAA in February 2024, following suspicious discoveries during a November 2023 recruitment drive for aviation security officers.
He notes that some applicants were found with forged papers and were not recruited. This prompted a broader investigation into the existing workforce, in collaboration with the Ministry of Works.
The results, according to the letter, revealed 82 staff members with forged or questionable academic documents out of 2,688 records reviewed.
However, Bamwesigye stresses that the cases span decades and were not necessarily a result of current recruitment malpractice.
He adds that academic verification was not standard practice during recruitment or promotions in the past, with emphasis previously placed on aptitude tests and industry certifications.
The Director General expresses concern over the anxiety within the affected staff and departments, and warns that most of the implicated individuals occupy critical roles in air safety, security, and operations.
“Most of these staff have been trained and they constitute among our best personnel in the industry,” Bamwesigye notes, highlighting the human development investment made in the aviation sub-sector.
He further emphasizes that UCAA has established a disciplinary committee, which has already heard 54 of the 82 staff, and promises the process will conclude within one month. Final recommendations will then be submitted to the ministry for guidance.
This formal rebuttal marks a sharp contrast to the position taken by UCAA Human Resource Director Sabah Ahmed Kakooza, whose internal probe—conducted with backing from State Minister Fred Byamukama directly led to the President’s hard-hitting letter demanding immediate action.
As internal tensions simmer between the Director General and the HR Directorate, the fate of the 152 targeted employees remains uncertain. Bamwesigye’s letter signals a clear push for procedural justice and institutional protection, even as State House and the Ministry appear to lean toward decisive purging.
