Chartered Flights Have Money Rolling In For Uganda Airlines

Uganda Airlines made about U.S.$1.9 million in the first three months of 2022, from just ten chartered flights. Six flights were paid for by mainly private clients, in flights to Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, while three were hired for President Yoweni Museveni’s son Muhoozi Kainerugaba.

State House and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reportedly paid a total of about U.S.$274,000 for Muhoozi’s three trips. Muhoozi, who is the Commander of the Land Forces of the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) flew twice to Kigali, Rwanda, and once to Cairo, Egypt. Muhoozi’s trips to Kigali were part of Uganda’s efforts to mend its relations with Rwanda after the closure of the Gatuna border for three years. 

The other charter was for late former speaker Jacob Oulanyah, who was flown to the U.S. for treatment on a U.S.$500,000 flight – paid for by Uganda’s parliament in February 2022.

In 2019 the airline resumed commercial services after it stopped operating in 2001 due to financial difficulties.

Source: allafrica.com