The man in the viral video hawking grasshoppers, also locally known as Nsenene aboard a Uganda Airlines flight has been identified as Paul Mubiru.
In a video that went viral on social media, an unidentified man was seen vending grasshoppers that he had stuck in a polythene bag to passengers in the economy class of the Uganda Airlines fight UR 446 to Dubai on Friday.
The video has since caused a public uproar.
However, the man captured in the video vending the insects, a delicacy, especially in the central part of the country has been identified as Paul Mubiru who occasionally helps traders transport goods from Dubai to Uganda.
Apologises
In the aftermath of the public uproar, Mubiru has apologized for his behaviour saying the video was intended for comedy purposes on TikTok, a social media platform.
“I am sorry to the fellow countrymen and women, staff of Uganda Airlines, passengers and everyone hurt by the act on board. I recorded that video in question not to tarnish or ashame the airline but for comedy purposes specifically TikTok deeds,”Mubiru said in a letter to the Uganda Airlines country manager.
He explained that what happened as vending in the video that went viral was all for comical purposes and that it was not for transactional purposes as claimed.
“I continue to send in my apology and I authorize you to make my apology public so that the other parties affected can also forgive me.”
On Saturday, the Minister for Works and Transport, Gen Edward Katumba Wamala ordered the suspension of all staff who were on the said flight to Dubai when the incident happened.
“ I have spoken to the leadership of the airline to take action against the staff who were in charge when this happened,” Gen Katumba tweeted.
