Kampala, Uganda: The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) is embroiled in a fresh Shs9 billion medical insurance scandal barely weeks after President Yoweri Museveni ordered the mass sacking of 152 staff over irregular recruitment.
This latest storm centers on a controversial medical insurance scheme being forced onto staff by the UCAA Board, chaired by retired Deputy Chief Justice Steven Kavuma, working in alleged connivance with Human Resource Director Ahmed Sabah Kakooza and State Minister for Works Fred Byamukama.
Insiders revealed to DailyExpress that the push to replace UCAA’s internal medical scheme with an expensive external insurance model has sparked outrage among senior staff, department heads, and union leaders—many citing that the plan is exploitative, impractical, and a financial scandal in the making.
Under the current internal Patient Treatment Order (PTO) system, staff receive medical attention swiftly and reliably, with costs well-contained at Shs5 billion annually. The PTO caters to both inpatient and outpatient medical needs and has proven effective in the high-pressure aviation industry where urgency cannot be compromised.
However, the new insurance arrangement, reportedly involving ICEA, Prudential, and Jubilee, is projected to cost a staggering Shs9 billion annually. Staff say the system introduces bureaucratic delays, verification hurdles, and poor responsiveness from hospitals—posing grave risks in a time-sensitive aviation environment.
“Aviation doesn’t wait. If a worker needs to call a hospital, then the hospital calls the insurer before treatment, we are courting delays both on the ground and in the air,” a senior UCAA staff member told DailyExpress under anonymity condition.
Staff further question the sudden budget leap from Shs5bn to Shs9bn, alleging kickbacks and insider corruption are driving the inflated costs. “Why double the cost if not for someone’s gain? We suspect people high up are already beneficiaries,” another insider said.
Attempts by staff unions to propose running both systems concurrently, giving employees freedom of choice, were dismissed outright. Insiders claim the Board has threatened dissenters, warning they would be “dealt with.”
Corruption Allegations Emerge
Sources further allege that the Board has already quietly awarded the contract to a preferred insurer, with accusations of kickbacks exchanged to secure the deal. DailyExpress has learned that details of these alleged financial improprieties will emerge in subsequent reports.
Following President Museveni’s directive to clean up UCAA, multiple department heads who raised concerns about the scheme have been targeted and dismissed.
“They are abusing the President’s letter to purge anyone questioning the insurance scandal and other dubious projects,” a source revealed.
The atmosphere at UCAA remains tense, with staffers increasingly reluctant to speak on record for fear of reprisals. “The turbulence at UCAA is unbearable. Yesterday it was the 152 sacked, tomorrow it’s those who ask tough questions,” another staffer said.
Sources indicate sharp divisions have emerged within top management, but that, according to insiders, is a story for another day.
UCAA is yet to issue an official statement on these reports by press time.
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