A meeting at State House between President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and former Ethiopian Airlines Chief Executive Officer Girma Wake has intensified speculation over an impending leadership transition at Uganda Airlines.
In a brief statement, President Museveni confirmed that he met Wake alongside Mr Robert Kateera, noting that their discussions focused on air transport and other related issues.
“I met Mr Girma Wake, the former CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, alongside Mr Robert Kateera at State House today. We discussed matters regarding air transport, among other issues,” Museveni said.
The meeting comes at a time when Uganda Airlines has initiated a process to recruit a new Chief Executive Officer, following an internal communication by incumbent CEO Jenifer Bamuturaki indicating that the airline’s Board would soon advertise the position.
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While no official link has been made between the State House engagement and the ongoing CEO recruitment process, the presence of Wake, a highly regarded aviation executive who led Ethiopian Airlines during a period of rapid expansion, has been widely interpreted within government and aviation circles as significant.
Prior to the meeting, our sources revealed that Wake was among those being considered to replace Bamuturaki.
Wake served as CEO of Ethiopian Airlines between 2004 and 2011 and later as chairman of the airline’s board, earning a reputation for aggressive growth, fleet modernization and route expansion that transformed the carrier into one of Africa’s most successful airlines.
Uganda Airlines has in recent months been under increased scrutiny over governance, financial performance and operational reliability, with parliamentary, criminal and internal investigations placing pressure on the current management.
Sources familiar with the airline’s oversight structures say the State House meeting is likely to be read as part of broader consultations on the future direction of the national carrier, particularly as government weighs options for stabilising operations and restoring public confidence.
Neither State House nor Uganda Airlines has issued further details on the outcome of the meeting, and no announcement has been made regarding any appointment or advisory role.
However, in the context of ongoing leadership uncertainty at the national carrier, the engagement has added weight to speculation that an external, experienced aviation hand could be under consideration as Uganda Airlines prepares for a possible reset at the top.
