By Frank Murekwa
There’s growing concern over the unchecked power of the Auditor General’s office. While many audits serve the public interest, some reports raise questions about motive and accuracy. It is time for an independent body, perhaps the IGG or another authority, to scrutinize the Auditor General’s conduct and internal practices.
The recent article alleging that Uganda Airlines lost over USD 27 million, UGX 103 billion, in ticket sales is misleading. The audit flagged transactions as “untraceable” simply because some Passenger Name Records, PNRs, were not directly linked to bank deposits. This does not mean the money vanished.
Here’s how the system works. Payments made at airline offices go directly to bank implants. Where implants aren’t available, staff deposit lump sums at day’s end.
Travel agents also sell tickets, some through IATA’s BSP system, others via GDS portals with advance deposits. These deposits are credited before ticket issuance, meaning they don’t initially link to PNRs.
All revenue is banked, and no funds have been misappropriated. Proper reconciliation requires both bank statements and Daily Sales Reports to match PNRs with deposits. The audit failed to consider this operational reality.
In fact, the money appears on bank statements. So who are the auditors fooling? Why did they ignore the bank statements that were presented as evidence?
Why do they think it’s normal to call an audit for administrative purposes, then work behind the scenes to leak it to the media? What do they hope to gain from this level of inept attitude and unprofessional conduct? Should the public also consider that Eco Bank is involved in the so-called fraud?
Uganda Airlines, now serving 17 destinations across 13 countries, has grown its revenue by 54 percent in FY23/24. Misleading reports not only harm its reputation, but also undermine public trust and national pride.
It is time to audit the auditors, before flawed narratives damage institutions doing honest work. The author is Frank Mulekwa of Genesis Media.
