M7 reappoints Bamwesigye as CAA boss

President Yoweri Museveni has reappointed Fred Bamwesigye as Director General of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA).

This was confirmed by the political head of the Ministry of Works and Transport, General Edward Katumba Wamala.

Bamwesigye previously served as director of human resources and administration at CAA.

In 2020, he was appointed Acting Director-General, succeeding Professor David Kakuba, and was confirmed as the full-time Director-General in October 2021.

Currently, President Museveni has renewed the contract for three years.

Sources said his deputy, Olive Birungi Lumonya and the Director of Airports and Aviation Safety, Engineer Ayub Sooma, were the most frustrated amid reports that they had been working behind the scenes to ensure their boss was not re-elected.

“The two of them have been speaking ill of him (Bamwesigye), telling some people that he does not deserve to be re-elected. Lumonya is strategically angling for the same post. Soma is also interested. But at least they can wait for him to complete his last term. Thank God, the decision makers did not listen to their malicious plots,” an insider disclosed.

More on this later.

Priorities

Bamwesigye has since listed his priorities for the new term.

“I am honoured to be reappointed as the Director General of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA),” he confirmed through his X account, adding, “There are many unfinished tasks and new tasks to be accomplished in the aviation regulatory environment in Uganda, and the following are some of the priority tasks that I will focus on.”

Bamwesigye went on to disclose that UCAA had just completed two ICAO Universal Safety and Security Oversight Audit Programmes and the direction of its regulatory activities would be guided by addressing the gaps identified as well as strengthening the existing regulatory framework.

“Uganda’s civil aviation industry has grown significantly over the past few years, especially with the entry of Uganda Airlines. The regulatory landscape has also expanded and we need to prepare for this, especially in terms of capacity building,” he added.

He said priority would be given to the upgrading and expansion of Entebbe International Airport and facilities in the hinterland, including land acquisition, including the completion of Kabalega International Airport, all of which would be accompanied by enhanced monitoring activities.

Bamwesige said that due to the continuous expansion of Uganda’s aviation industry, it is becoming increasingly necessary to separate regulatory activities from operational activities.

“So, I will also prioritize this,” he said, adding that UCAA will continue to monitor and act in sync with regional, continental and global initiatives to improve the aviation industry in the spirit of “leaving no country behind.”

He promised to keep the public regularly informed of all these efforts.

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