New Uganda Airlines CEO Grilled Over Qualifications & Pay

I'm trying so hard to get my foot in the door at an airline. Maybe I'm looking at the wrong ones

Both you (and The Monitor) have a lot of half-facts here and only a fraction of the full story.

The company's "first CEO" was not Cornwell Muleya as is implied. Rather it was Ephraim Bagenda, who remains with the company as Director of Maintenance. Cornwell (who was also the CEO of the former Air Uganda that was shut down in 2014 - there is another long scandal there for another day) was appointed as Acting CEO in 2019.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Bamuturaki was also hired as the Commercial Director for Uganda Airlines in 2019, but had her contract terminated at the end of her probationary period in 2020 by Cornwell. Supposedly, Cornwell also launched an investigation into alleged irregularities with contracts issued by Jennifer during her time in office. He also allegedly submitted a dossier outlining various irregularities to the authorities for criminal investigation.

Subsequently, in early 2021, shortly after the Board of Directors had extended Cornwell's contract of employment as Acting CEO by an additional 18 months, the President gave instructions to suspend Cornwell and pretty much every member of the management team except the aforementioned Ephraim Bagenda for undisclosed reasons. The Board of Directors then appointed a pilot, Capt. Steve Wegoye, as Acting CEO.

Shortly after this, the President ordered the removal of Capt. Steve as well, and also the dismissal of the entire Board of Directors. A caretaker committee of civil servants was appointed as an interim board and instructions were then given for them to appoint Jennifer (who had been dismissed from the company almost a year prior) as the Acting CEO. Jennifer then appointed Capt. Steve as Director of Safety.

In early 2022, the President instructed that the employment contracts of Cornwell and the other suspended managers be summarily terminated for cause. Cornwell sued for unfair dismissal and claiming various benefits due under his contract. He was consequently arrested and charged with "disobedience". His passport (he is a Zambian expat) was confiscated as a condition of bail and that case is still being pursued through the legal system.

Meanwhile, a new Board of Directors was appointed in March 2022. The new Board appointed PwC to conduct an international recruitment exercise for a permanent CEO. However, just a few days into this exercise, the President ordered that Jennifer should be appointed as CEO (even though she had not applied for the job) and the recruitment exercise by PwC be immediately terminated.

Needless to say, there are a number of parliamentarians who are bristling over what they view as an abuse of corporate governance and are consequently grilling Jennifer over the circumstances of her appointment. Like parliamentary hearings anywhere in the world, these often turn into mudslinging contest and Jennifer's qualifications (or lack thereof) have become the current issue. For now though, she is firmly in place and has the support of the shareholder (ie. Government of Uganda) so nothing the hearings come up with will change that.

Disclaimer : I know both Cornwell and Jennifer and I have had business relationships with both Air Uganda and Uganda Airlines. The above information posted is all available in the public domain and does not include any confidential information that I may be privy to.

"I don't earn that much " and "35% goes back to government in taxes." Qualifies as a fulltime politician, degree or not.

Thanks to the much-respected and ever knowledgeable Sean M. for the clarifications. This is the first time I heard of this case but, as an outsider, it seems to me typical of a situation where politicians --- ever self-serving --- are involved in commercial operations of companies. Uganda has been getting some attention lately for its alleged money laundering of assets stolen by poor country potentates and this corruption is indubitably in the mix of this messy cocktail. One does not need a master's degree to be brilliant at running a company; indeed you don't even need a bachelor's. This fuss is, therefore, a ploy by interested parties to nobble someone other than this lady CEO. In other words, there is more to this than meets the eye, IMO.

The only question is, does anyone really care?
Corruption and nepotism has been part of the African landscape forever and is unlikely to change.
She seems very well qualified in her own right to run Tinpot Airways or Hardlyfly Airways.

Hints of nepotism, corruption, and ill-planned decisions? Guess they are taking a book out of Trumpism?

“The only question is, does anyone really care?”

Anyone who doesn’t view the continent of Africa as one entity cares.

“African landscape” sound ridiculous. Regale us next about the North American landscape with more stupid generalizations.

@TravelinWilly - had the same thoughts when I read that comment! +1

Reeks of someone from Trumpistan.

I have known a lot of people who love to make such gross generalizations. My fav are the "Asians" or the "Latinos" (hint: anyone who is mildly tanned or can say hola). Just to annoy such people, I just club all 7 countries in NA together. If I speak about any of the countries, I just extend to the North American diaspora. The North American revolutionary, Fidel Castro....

I agree with you here, TravelInWilly. At the same time, I will add that a good many Africans do generally see their contintent as a single entity. References to "African this" and "African that" are common in countries across the continent (in my experience having visited all African countries, and lived in three.) And that includes references to "African corruption." I don't like this kind of language, and I found the initial comment obnoxious, but I also think that Africans' identification with their continent shouldn't be denied.

Its hilarious that people can't see that injecting Trump or Trump-related complaints into everything is just as obnoxious as MAGA loving Trump defenders. As if Trump has a monopoly on nepotism and corruption

I definitely agree with the responses to the initial comment to some extent. Cultural identities have layers; the deeper one dwells, the greater the distinctions. Countries in certain parts of Africa certainly share a more unified identify; just like let's say North Americans in contrast to Californians versus Midwesterners. However, having lived in Northern African countries for a long time and having spent a few years in Zaire, Kenya and Zimbabwe, I would say that the latter three identify with the external impression of Africanism much more than countries like Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, and Egypt.

Definitely agree with you. However, many consider Africa and corruption synonymous, even though the inception of corruption and nepotism is another of the colonial consequences. That impression is also not right.