The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued a public apology to its former Managing Director, Wenceslaus Rama Makuza, after an Industrial Court ruling compelled the Authority to publicly acknowledge wrongdoing in the manner of his removal from office.
A notice published in the New Vision on November 20, 2025 stated that the Authority “acknowledges the distress and inconvenience Makuza experienced because of his termination from employment and the subsequent events,” adding that it “sincerely apologises for the negative reports relating to his termination.”
CAA spokesperson Vianney Luggya said the publication was part of fulfilling binding court directives.
“The apology was issued in accordance with the Industrial Court ruling. We complied fully as directed,” Luggya told the Nile Post.
He confirmed that an earlier written apology had been sent to Dr. Makuza on October 20, 2025, as part of implementing the court’s decision in Labour Dispute Reference No. 041 of 2019.
Luggya declined to comment further, saying the matter had been conclusively addressed through the legal process.
Makuza’s dispute with the Authority stretches back several years. He was removed from office in what he described as a humiliating manner despite having only eight months left to retirement.
He was replaced by Fred Bamwesigye, then the Authority’s Director of Human Resources.
The fallout began after a 2017 performance assessment in which the CAA board alleged that Makuza had “serious performance gaps which had grossly hindered the smooth running of the organisation.”
The then Minister of Works and Transport, Monica Azuba Ntege, issued a termination letter shortly after.
Makuza challenged the process, calling it “malicious, high-handed, arbitrary, callous, and outright illegal” especially considering the manner with which he was thrown out of office when it was locked without his consent.
He said he was never warned of any performance concerns, was denied an opportunity to defend himself, and was locked out of his office without notice.
He also argued that subsequent media reports portraying him as incompetent severely damaged his reputation.
The Industrial Court later ruled in his favour, awarding him Shs625.6 million in general damages based on his salary and the eight remaining months of his contract.
The court also granted aggravated damages due to the humiliation he suffered, including being locked out and the damaging media publicity.