Kampala, Uganda: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed the immediate appointment of aviation veteran Girma Wake as Acting Chief Executive Officer of Uganda Airlines, ordering current CEO Jennifer Bamuturaki to step aside with immediate effect.
In a February 13, 2026, letter addressed to Works and Transport Minister Katumba Wamala, Museveni cited “current leadership and management weaknesses” within the national carrier as the basis for the directive.
The President instructed that Girma Wake be appointed as a Consultant/Advisor to assist in rectifying management challenges at the airline and simultaneously serve as Acting CEO until a substantive chief executive is appointed by July 2026.
“I hereby direct that you go ahead and appoint Mr Girma Wake as a Consultant/Advisor… In addition, he is to serve as Acting CEO until we appoint a new CEO by July 2026,” the letter reads.
Museveni further directed that Bamuturaki “be enabled to step aside immediately and handover” to Wake and the Uganda Airlines Board, adding that the Board should organize any emoluments due to her.
The presidential directive comes after months of reported internal tensions, board-level disagreements and operational concerns within Uganda Airlines’ top management, which have drawn scrutiny from Parliament and the public.
Girma Wake, a respected aviation executive with extensive experience in airline turnaround strategies such as Ethiopian Airlines, is expected to work closely with the Board to stabilise leadership structures and restore operational confidence.
The President’s intervention signals a decisive move to reset governance at the airline as it navigates financial sustainability, route expansion and corporate governance reforms.
Under the new directive, Mr Wake will serve in a dual capacity, both as advisor and acting CEO, pending recruitment of a substantive Chief Executive Officer, which has been slated for July 2026.
The development marks a significant shift in the leadership trajectory of Uganda Airlines as government seeks to strengthen oversight and institutional stability at the national carrier.
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