By Aggrey Baba
The Ministry of Works and Transport has unveiled an ambitious plan to expand the fleet of Uganda Airlines, with 10 new aircraft, prompting a request to Parliament for a UGX 1.696 trillion supplementary budget to finance the initial stages of the project.
The proposal was presented to the Budget Committee by the minister of Works and Transport Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala during a session held on Monday, 1st December 2025.
According to details laid before the Committee, the supplementary request includes UGX 422.264 billion earmarked as the initial payment required to secure the aircraft orders in the 2025/2026 financial year. The acquisition plan involves four (4) narrow-body Airbus aircraft, four (4) wide-body Boeing planes, and two (2) Boeing-converted cargo freighters, forming a significant expansion of Uganda’s carrier’s operational capacity.
Gen. Katumba explained that the immediate financial obligation involves pre-delivery payments tied to the signing of the purchase agreements, revealing that government will need UGX 247.019 billion at the point of contract execution, followed by an additional UGX 275.245 billion expected in January 2026 to meet mandatory pre-delivery schedules for both Boeing and Airbus.
The Minister told the Committee that the procurement is designed to position Uganda Airlines for broader regional and long-haul operations, while also strengthening its entry into cargo transport, an increasingly competitive and lucrative sector on the continent.
The long-term acquisition plan is expected to address capacity gaps, expand route options, and align the airline with commercial trends driving global aviation.
The Budget Committee is currently scrutinizing the supplementary schedule ahead of its presentation in Parliament’s plenary sitting, where MP will debate and determine whether to approve the financing request. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
