Tooro Parliamentary Association Backs Uganda Airlines CEO Bamuturaki On Academic Qualifications

Legislators under the Tooro Parliamentary Association have thrown their weight behind the recently appointed Uganda Airlines CEO, Jennifer Bamuturaki, saying she is qualified for the job.

Bamuturaki’s qualifications as CEO came to question last week when MPs on the  Committee on Commissions Statutory Authorities (COSASE) demanded to see her Makerere University transcripts that she didn’t have.

On Wednesday, August, 17 ,2022, the committee chaired by Nakawa West MP, Joel Ssenyonyi tasked Bamuturaki to present her curriculum vitae to ascertain if she met standards before being appointed as CEO of Uganda Airlines.

It was established her appointment had major loopholes as  Bamuturaki’s records only showed she holds a Bachelor of Arts (honors) in Social Works and Social Administration which she obtained from Makerere University in 1993 and but lacked the post-graduate training prerequisite.

The committee further tasked her to present her University transcript and Senior 4 result slip but she didn’t have either one.

According to Bamuturaki, she has been to the University three times recently to get her transcript but it has not yet located it.

About the Ordinary Level result slip, she told the committee that she had lost it and was in the process of getting a new one from the Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB).

This steered trouble for her, with legislators and the public questioning whether she ever studied at those levels.

Now, Tooro MPs have entered matters, demanding their girl is left alone because she qualifies.

The chairperson of Tooro association Hon Alex Ruhunda says Bamuturaki is well known to them and  that she knowingly went through Kyebambe girls’ school for her ‘A’ level, Nabisuunsa girls for ‘O’ level and Makerere University.

“So for people to say that she is not qualified, that is very disheartening, not true and we people from Tooro don’t fight for jobs but work really hard and are not corrupt. This lady hasn’t been given a chance, she just started work and people are fighting her, give her a chance.” he says

Cosase is investigating Uganda Airlines to respond to queries in the report of the Auditor General for the year ended 2021.

The Auditor General’s report highlighted discrepancies in the wages of the airline staff, the CEO earns Shs 87 million, chief financial officer (Shs 73 million), manager finance (Shs 58 million), and the director of maintenance (Shs 80 million). Manager ICT earns Shs 36 million, human resource earns Shs 43 million, Manager Cargo (Shs14 million), and manager Quality Assurance earns Shs 43 million.

Bamuturaki is daughter to George Bamuturaki a former Kabarole North MP who  contributed to the NRA struggle.

In February 1982, Bamuturaki was gunned down at Kisementi, Kampala, by former President Milton Obote’s soldiers for reportedly financing Museveni’s rebel outfit- the National Resistance Army.