Uganda Airlines boss earns Shs 87 million per month, MPs told

MPs on the Committee on Commissions, State Authorities, and State Enterprises (COSASE)  were yesterday shocked to discover that the chief executive officer of Uganda Airlines earns at least Shs 87 million per month.

The position is currently occupied by Jennifer Bamuturaki.

As the committee started a probe into the operations of Uganda Airlines, officials from the national carrier were faulted for not doing enough to steer the airline forward, yet they earn hefty salaries at the expense of the taxpayer.

According to the Auditor General’s report, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) earns Shs87 million, Chief Financial Officer Shs73 million, Manager Finance shs58 million and the Director Maintenance Shs80 million. Others are Manager ICT at shs36 million, Human Resource Shs43 million, Manager Cargo shs14million, and manager Quality Assurance shs43 million.

Committee chairperson, Joel Ssenyonyi tasked the team to explain why some pilots were getting Shs50 million while others were earning Shs60 million.

"If the airline was making money, it would be okay; we want workers of the airline to be paid well but you made a loss of Shs 164 billion in the financial year 2020-2021, and yet people are being paid over Shs 80 million," he said.

Ssenyonyi also tasked the board to explain the irregular recruitment of the CEO, Bamuturaki, who worked as an aide to the former acting CEO, Captain Steven Wegoye.

According to Ssenyonyi, although the board had embarked on a search for a substantive CEO by contracting PriceWaterHouseCoopers, and 40 people had applied for the job, the process was halted following a presidential directive appointing Bamuturaki.

Kasambya County MP, Gaffa Mbwatekamwa expressed shock that several workers were earning over Shs70 million in Uganda Airlines given the poor state of our economy.

"This is alarming; we understand the high pay for pilots but administrators and directors?" he questioned.

Bamuturaki said that they are working on reviewing the salaries, and are currently in the process of conducting an audit. She said that for pilots and cabin crew members, the salaries are different because Airbus has its salary structure, while Bombardier equally has its structure.

Captain Lukman Ndusa, a pilot with Uganda Airlines said pilots are paid according to the standards of most airlines worldwide.

COSASE gave Uganda Airlines one month to come up with a salary structure after it emerged that several employees are being paid exorbitantly.