Barely weeks after President Museveni ordered the mass firing of 152 Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) staff over irregular recruitment, a fresh storm is now brewing inside the institution.
This time, the controversy centers on a new medical insurance scheme being forcefully introduced by the UCAA Board, chaired by retired Deputy Chief Justice Steven Kavuma.
According to internal sources, the Board’s move to replace the existing internal medical scheme with a private insurance model has sparked off intense resistance from senior staff members, department heads, and union leaders—many of whom fear the plan is both exploitative and impractical for the unique demands of aviation work.
Under the current internal medical arrangement, staff benefit from an Out-Patient Department (OPD) cover of up to shs 1 million, after which any excess is paid by UCAA and later recovered from the staff member’s salary.
For in-patient care, the Authority fully shoulders the cost, regardless of duration. This system, staff argue, is flexible, reliable, and responsive to the urgency of medical needs in a highly time-sensitive industry.
However, the Board now insists on transitioning to an external insurance system—reportedly involving major players like ICEA, Prudential, and Jubilee—which, insiders claim, comes with long verification delays, poor hospital responsiveness, and risk to time-sensitive flight operations.
“Aviation doesn’t wait. If a worker has to first call a hospital and the hospital must call the insurance company before treatment, then we risk delays at work, and delays in the air,” one senior staffer said off record, citing the high-stakes nature of the industry.
Staff leaders suggested a compromise—running both systems concurrently, allowing employees to choose. But the Kavuma-led board is said to have rejected the proposal outright, reportedly warning that those resisting the new scheme “would be dealt with.”
Even more damning are fresh allegations of corruption tied to the rollout. Multiple sources claim the board has already quietly awarded the scheme to a preferred insurer that allegedly paid kickbacks to secure the deal. As of this report, no official announcement has been made, nor has the selection process been explained publicly raising fears of a non-transparent procurement process.
Amid the growing unrest, several heads of departments who questioned the plan now say they fear for their jobs. The atmosphere at the Authority has reportedly grown tense, with many staffers unwilling to comment on record.
“The turbulence at UCAA is too much. People are scared. Today it’s the 152 sacked, tomorrow it might be those who ask questions,” a staffer said under anonymity.
No UCAA official was willing to speak on record when contacted about the matter, saying this is fragile time to be quoted by the media when the institution is undergoing turbulence.
Below are the board members
Justice Steven Kavuma – Chairman (Retired Deputy Chief Justice)
John Bulindi – Member
Ethel Kamba – Member
Andrew Ocero – Member
Moses Lubowa – Member
Godfrey Ssemugoma – Member
Thomas Kiggundu – Member
Sylvia Namubiru – Member
