By Aggrey Baba
The Ministry of Works and Transport yesterday, December 1st, faced sharp scrutiny in Parliament after firebrand Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda challenged the decision to push Uganda Airlines’ new aircraft procurement through a supplementary request instead of the main national budget.
The exchange unfolded before the Budget Committee as it examined the UGX 1.7 trillion request tabled by Minister Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala to finance initial payments for 10 new aircraft.
Ssemujju, who openly described himself as one of the strongest believers in Uganda maintaining a national carrier, declared that his support for Uganda Airlines did not mean he would tolerate what he termed poor and shabby financial planning by the Ministry, arguing that a project of such magnitude could not legitimately appear in a supplementary schedule, especially when the law restricts supplementary spending to emergencies or unforeseen necessities.
The MP demanded clarity from Gen. Katumba, questioning how a long-term investment such as the purchase of new aircraft could be classified under emergency spending. He noted that Uganda Airlines routinely operates with financial needs estimated at around UGX 450 billion and wondered why the planned expansion was never reflected in the 2025/26 national budget framework.
According to Ssemujju, the Works Ministry’s handling of the aircraft procurement risks portraying Parliament as careless, shabby, and easily manipulated on matters that should be subjected to thorough planning and scrutiny. He pressed Katumba to explain whether the aircraft acquisition plan was originally part of Uganda Airlines’ internal budget projections or if it was introduced without adequate preparation.
His remarks heightened pressure on the Ministry at a time when legislators are already questioning the scale, timing, and financial implications of the airline’s expansion strategy. The Committee is expected to continue interrogating the request before making recommendations ahead of the final decision in plenary. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
