MPs Want Substantive UCAA Director General Appointed

Members of Parliament on the physical infrastructure committee have expressed concern about the delays to appoint a substantive Director-General of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority-UCAA  

The MPs were on Tuesday visiting Entebbe International Airport on Tuesday to ascertain the progress and status of the 1.1 Trillion Shillings upgrade and expansion of the airport.

Last year, Dr David Mpango Kakuba retired as Director-General and was replaced by his deputy, Fred Bamwesigye who has served for eight months as acting Director-General.  The MPs also got to learn that there is no substantive Director of Human Resource and Administration.

The Kasilo County MP Elijah Okupa and Bunyole West MP, James Waluswaka tasked the board to explain why it has not yet appointed a substantive Director-General. The new board, chaired by retired Deputy Chief Justice Steven Kavuma was inaugurated on 25th June 2020, a few days to Kakuba's retirement.

James Kiggundu, a member of the board noted that the board failed to appoint a substantive Director-General last year due to the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Robert Ssekitoleeko, the Nakifuma County MP, noted that the committee will organise a meeting over the matter.  This is after Joy Kabatsi, the minister for state for Work, noted that the issue should not be handled in the presence of the media.

However, Okupa insisted that the matter should be resolved before the expiry of the tenth parliament.

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Kabatsi noted that the committee needs to keep track of what happens in UCAA and also Uganda Airlines because they both lack executive leaders.  Cornwell Muleya has been the acting CEO of Uganda Airlines since October 2019. He replaced Ephraim Bagenda who was a substantive CEO. Bagenda is now the Director of engineering and maintenance.

Kabatsi says that she is however optimistic that the meeting with MPs will push the boards to work and appoint substantive executive managers before June this year.

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According to the Public Service Standing Orders, 2010, on procedures for appointments, An appointment on an acting basis is expected to last not more than six months" and therefore any period of acting appointment "beyond six months will be null and void." It adds that, “the person shall therefore revert to his or her substantive post unless the appointing authority extends the appointment for another six months. However, the extension "shall not exceed 12 months."