By Our Reporters
As part of activities to mark the international aviation week, Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has extended its generous hand and reached out to Uganda Golfing Society whose two day senior golfers’ tournament it sponsored over the weekend. Held on Kitante Golf Course, the tournament attracted numerous participants including Works & Transport Minister Monica Azuba Ntege. In the golf speech, the word Seniors refers to players aged 55 years and above. Golfers had fan throughout Saturday to Sunday when the whole thing climaxed into dinner and a prize-giving ceremony that was presided over by Azuba who kept making charitable comments in reference to her predecessor John Nasasira, a prominent golfer who cheerfully sat in the audience sharing a table with the likes of lawyer Ben Wacha. CAA (that was represented by a powerful delegation comprising of board members, Deputy MD Fred Bamwesigye, Corporate & Public Affairs Manager Vianney Luggya and a number of staff) was variously thanked for dressing the players for two days, funding the entertainment and for providing the money with which the tournament’s core activities were funded. In a subsequent speech, DMD Bamwesigye (whose dancing antics had already wowed golfers) created even more excitement at the event when he announced that CAA was staying with the golfing fraternity by funding a similar tournament next year. Besides CAA the main sponsor, the event was co-sponsored Crown Beverages (refreshments) and Uganda Breweries Ltd (gave the beers). There was also Kenya Airways and Rwandair which respectively gave two return tickets (to Mombasa & Nairobi) and to Dubai. The tickets went to senior golfers who exhibited exceptionally good performance through the two day tournament. Dr. Sebale’s Case Hospital was also commended for free medical emergency services (checking/stabilizing people’s blood pressure, back massages etc) they offered during the tournament. Besides the air tickets, trophies and other prizes were given to all outstanding performers at the Course including Gen Ivan Koreta, Harriet Kitaka, Bridget Nakamoga, Dan Basaliza (grandson to Uganda’s oldest golfer),Conrad Odere, Silver Rugamba, Moses Mukiibi, Peter Mungooma, Hassan Kiyemba, Micheal Arunga, Patrick & Grace Kabonero, Godfrey Matata Onyango, Joviah Otim, Connie Mukulu, Edriah Kagombe (Rwandair ticket winner), John Mugyenzi, Prof Nsanze (humorously said he won because he went to Church), lawyer Nester Byamugisha, Tom Arwara and the highly cheerful Betty Apio Owaraga who captains Mbale.
THE SPEECHES;
Senior golfer Charles Kareba perfectly electrified the evening by putting his great emceeing skills to work and everybody had a good time. As their names were read and they moved to pick their prizes, golfers were characteristically cheerful and pulled rare dancing strokes to the music from the loud speakers as Kareba commentated “shake it up boy/girl” depending on who it was. Even when the speeches were many, nobody seemed to be bored as the band entertainment and (UBL) drinks flowed endlessly. As part of her brief speech, Azuba who was guest of honor, cheered up the evening more when she introduced her spouse Mark Ntege whom she praised as “my better half” and moreover in a very romantic voice. She said having been part of golf for years, this was a place “for letting my hairs down and say whatever I want to say.” Some spouses added onto the romantic mood speakers like Azuba set by romantically escorting their better-halves to pick their prizes. Some pulled rare dance strokes, including squeeze, on the well-lit raised main platform where prizes were being picked from. None seemed to mind the many paparazzis that kept clicking away. Azuba praised CAA which she supervises and thanked management for reaching out to the golfing fraternity and ensuring Uganda remains a respected player in International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) which boasts of 252 members. She said she was proud of the fact that CAA is increasingly becoming visible in the sporting arena as seen in its decision to use this year’s aviation week to sponsor golf and netballing tournaments as a way of deepening the public’s understanding and appreciation of the Authority’s mandate. She said it was an equally wise move and very prudent (business-wise) for CAA to have chosen reaching out to golfers “because they are frequent travelers” through the airspace in which the airlines they regulate operate. Commending the CAA team for their resilience and innovativeness, Azuba said the golfing community is one group with whom aviation business can be done because “they too are shaped by circumstances to be resilient, patient and disciplined,” the very values the teams at CAA often practice. Speaking before her was CAA Board member Eng Mackenzie Ogwen who ran through the history of CAA and Entebbe Airport before apologizing to the assembled golfers for the inconveniences the ongoing renovation and expansion works have continued occasioning on travelers through Entebbe. In 1967, he explained, when Entebbe Airport was first opened to business, it was a larger facility than any in Kenya “but today Kenyans have their Nairobi Airport which is much bigger… and yet we have to improve ours hence the mess you see in the departure and arrival hall but it will be temporary-and things will get better.”
CAA MESSAGE;
DMD Fred Bamwesigye started by confessing thus: “From what has been happening here during this two day tournament and from what I have seen myself, CAA will be sponsoring many more such tournaments next year and years after because clearly there is value for money for us.” On hearing this, the golfers cheered and ululated to show their appreciation for CAA’ generous partnership. Bamwesigye explained the genesis of aviation week in whose memory CAA found itself inevitably working with members of the golfing fraternity. “The idea for aviation week was conceived and started in December 1994. This was 50 years after the promulgation of Chicago Convention” which evolved into ICAO, he said. And like his boss Azuba, Bamwesigye observed that: “Golf like all sports requires patience and discipline and the same applies to business like that of CAA. We are going to be here [partnering] with you for a while because majority of the golfers have a business inclination.” He said sporting activities were chosen as areas to be sponsored to mark this year’s aviation week because it (sports) is something the CAA management and staff take very dearly. “We are active participants in the corporate league and we have teams for the different disciplines like volleyball, swimming, netball etc. And we aren’t only there to participate just. We have been demolishing teams seriously in a number of areas including chess,” he said sounding cheerful. These being golfers amongst whom resides huge business potential for the aviation industry (they have the money and travel often), Bamwesigye shrewdly took advantage of the audience to promise better service delivery and facilities at Entebbe which is just one of the many aviation facilities CAA manages. He said whereas they are soon completing an expanded car parking facility at Entebbe, in the long term a storied car park will be unveiled to mitigate against the inconveniences travelers suffer at Entebbe due to inadequate parking space. “The run way too is being expanded,” he said attracting applause from the golfers many of whom are either very successful businessmen or accounting officers controlling billions for the public and private entities they run. He said there are also operational constraints CAA faces as it goes about its regulatory mandate but all these are being addressed through a raft of amendments the Works Ministry is pushing through Cabinet and Parliament on the CAA Act. “The Act in its current form can’t address certain things and rapidly changing global trends and through engagement, the MPs should now appreciate the need to amend the aviation law,” he said adding the quality of aviation services in Uganda can only get better. He said the restoration of the national airline too will result into additional convenience for Ugandan travelers.
KENYA AIRWAYS MESSAGE;
Yet for the heads of Rwandair and Kenya Airways, the golfers’ gathering was a perfect opportunity to market their services. And first to speak was Rwandair’ Ivan Mugisha (after handing over the dummy return ticket) who briefly explained things that make his airline tick. His words weren’t many compared to Lucie Malu who is Country Manager for Kenya Airways. “I have only been here [Uganda] for three months so far but I can tell you I’m liking the place [Uganda] every passing day. I have worked in India for four years and I can say we aren’t enemies with my brother [Ivan]. No. We have always worked together because the cake [travel business] is big enough for all of us. This is what we said to each other with my brother [Ivan] elsewhere and have been repeating the same to each other regarding the Ugandan market where I just joined him recently,” said the bubbly KQ top executive. According to Mugisha, Rwandair will be increasing its visibility in the market through sponsoring golfing activities. He said they have already secured rights to become exclusive sponsors for ladies golfing activities. He said to strengthen partnership with the golfing fraternity, his company will next year also sponsor the two day senior golfers’ tournament as part of activities to mark the CAA-organized aviation week. The two airline top executives were unanimous in thanking CAA for being the main sponsors to the “tournament that has brought us into more direct contact with the golfers who happen to be frequent travelers.” Malu further marketed KQ by elaborating on the benefits that come with travelling with an airline that “has over the years strengthened as a regional, continental and more recently global carrier.” She said KQ had been allocated a dedicated terminal (out of the 32 counters) at the newly reconstructed JKIA. She said: “The 2013 fire incident at JKIA was an opportunity to learn and return with better services for those travelling KQ.” She explained the dedicated KQ terminal was meant to decongest things at JKIA and create additional convenience for passengers that choose to travel KQ. “Then on 28th October 2018 we had our maiden direct Nairobi to New York flight which lasted 15 hours…We became the 5th African country to pull it off. We also have the 234 Dream Airliner and you can now travel to New York within very short time,” said Malu as the visibly excited golfers insisted she signs up and becomes a member of their golfing club instantly. Saying the proceedings at the CAA-sponsored event had greatly fascinated her, Malu said: “I’m finally determined to create time to become a golf player to interact more with all of you guys.” For Comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755.
