By Spy Uganda Investigations Desk
First forward, during the state of the nation address on June, 4, at Kololo ceremonial grounds, President Yoweri Museveni made one ‘grave mistake’. During his address he hailed the then Ag CEO Uganda Airlines Jennifer Bamuturaki Abwooli as one of the new incorruptible servants he had identified and entrusted with the national airliner. Museveni identified Bamuturaki as one of the children of the NRA historicals he was now going to work with. Museveni said he would continue identifying vibrant, honest, incorruptible and well-educated young people for deployment in key government positions regardless of the negativity some of the ‘old guards’ have against them. Among those were Jennifer Bamuturaki and UCC Ag ED Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo. Now, that one, although the president said it in good faith, but to the mafias, he helped them not only in further identifying their target but also sharpened and confirmed the same!
Is Jennifer A Child Of The Historicals That Paid The Ultimate Price To See Museveni Become President Of Uganda?
The answer is yes. Jennifer is an orphan because her dad, the late Hon. George Masuura Bamuturaki was assassinated on 5th Feb 1982 at Kololo, Kisementi, a Kampala suburb by Obote Government soldiers for allegedly supporting a rebel leader (then) Yoweri Museveni. Bamuturaki, who was fairly well financially, was reportedly financing reel activities. He paid the ultimate price by being gruesomely gunned down. But is it Museveni who advised Jennifer after her SWASWA degree to enter into the aviation Industry 20 years ago? The answer is NO. This smart girl fought her way from the bottom, serving as a waitress in Hotels up to the top. And when she got an opportunity to meet the president, it was when she introduced herself, like another smart brain, so the president gets to know her when she is already a CEO material. If she had the privileges that most people quickly suggest, she wouldn’t have started from the bottom.
Is Jennifer Educated?
The answer is in bold letters, YES. In fact, the schools Jennifer went to are historical schools better than the schools of those trying to water down her over 20 years of sacrifice in trying to get an education. To break it down, she went to Kyebambe Girls SS Fortportal for ‘0’Level, Nabisunsa Girls for ‘A’ Level and Makerere University for her bachelor’s degree in SWASA. Jennifer is currently back at Makerere University for a master’s degree in public Administration.
Jennifer has International Air Transport Authority (IATA) certifications. IATA is the only global aviation authority that certifies one in the Aviation Industry. They don’t give degrees, they give clearance in form of Certificates. Trust Jennifer, if they were giving degrees, she would have had one with ease.
Another thing to note is that; whereas the mafias had pushed the narrative of lack of minimum education in a specific area as an issue to run the airline, if we’re to follow it up as well, the Zambian ‘consultant’, Mr. Cornwell Muleya, whom they hired to jump-start the airline has a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and IATA certification, like Jennifer. But that degree has nothing to do with the aviation industry because an aircraft is not a chemical that you’re going to mix. But, make no mistake; Mr.Muleya undoubtedly has vast experience in the aviation industry which was the basis for hiring his services. Whether he deployed that vast experience to the benefit of the airline is maybe what is debatable.
Work Experience:
Golden Tulip Canaan Kampala (Director of Sales & Marketing); since June 2017, then Sheraton Kampala Hotel (Director of Sales & Marketing) from September 2014 – September 2016, from here she joined Air Uganda as Head of Sales & Marketing from August 2008 – August 2014.
Further, Bamuturaki worked at Air Uganda as Commercial Consultant from April 2007 – April 2008 and was key in the Airline start-up process and opening, responsible for regional office setups, and recruitment of commercial teams, and carried out route research and planning before the startup among other noble responsibilities.
From Air Uganda, Bamuturaki was ‘fished’ by Travel Ltd as sales manager from April 2006 – April 2007 responsible for setting up the sales and reservations department, managing of sales and ticketing shop, responsible for acquiring corporate accounts for the Travel
Agency among others.
From August 2002 – July 2005, Bamuturaki joined East African Airlines as Country Manager, then switched to Sheraton Kampala Hotel playing various roles in several positions among them including Sales Manager from Jan 2000 – Apr 2002, Group and Banquet Sales Coordinator from Sept 1999 – Dec 1999, Assistant Manager Front office – Duty Manager from Jan 1998 – Aug 1999, Guest Relations Office from June 1997 – Jan 1998.
From May 1996 – April 1997 she joined Imperial Botanical Hotel as Personnel Manager responsible for staff recruitment, induction and probation, preparation of staff performance appraisals & staff welfare schemes, and handling employee grievances disputes and disciplinary matters.
Is Jennifer Getting Fat Salary As Claimed By COSASE Boss?
Let me break it down for you in a simpler manner here;
Mr. Cornwell Muleya, a Zambian who was hired as an expert to jumpstart the airline was getting a whooping UGX 127m per month. Even when the president interdicted him and his entire team, the lucky hunk continued getting his full salary. Yes, shs127m. Meanwhile, the person who was doing the job is Jennifer.
Jennifer gets less than shs40m per month, before taxes. But let’s even agree with the lie COSASE boss sold to the public, that she gets shs87m. Which one is higher between UGX127m and UGX87m?! So did Hon.Joel tell a lie? Yes, he did.
How did the shs87m come about? In 2016, while planning for the airline business, even before it the planes were bought, the National Planning Authority, through the line minister of the Ministry of works and transport (then), presented to the cabinet what’s known as Business Implementation Plan (BIP) which was for five years. These smart guys have suggested a salary structure for the airline staff starting from its CEO, to pilots, to Engineers name them. They had anticipated that after five years of the airline running, it would have started breaking even and therefore it would be good to pay its workers well. They proposed that a CEO should be paid shs87m per month, they went ahead and proposed a good salary for the pilots, Engineers, Cabin Crew etc.
They contended that if Uganda spends billions in training its own home-made pilots, Engineers, and Cabin Crew members and pays them peanuts, other airlines in the region and internationally would steal them because they fly to these countries and are able to compare notes. The cabinet bought the idea. This was in 2016 before Jennifer and Muleya had dreamt of joining the airlines because it wasn’t even there. But COSASE boss Hon. Joel, for whatever reason, brought the figures in BIP and put them in the public domain simply to let the public charge at an innocent soul.
READ ALSO: This Is Witch-Hunt Not A Probe: MP Ruhunda On COSASE-Bamuturaki Saga
And even if this was Jennifer’s salary, an MP who manages a constituency of five km radius in Nakawa earns hundreds of millions, they even increased their emoluments recently during covid-19, but the same MP wants a CEO of a whole national airline to earn less than him. This one is representing the whole country at the International level, lobbying for business for the whole country, compared to an MP representing Luzira prisons and part of Lake Victoria including its occupants; frogs, snakes, fish and crocodiles and night dancers. Who should earn more?
So Let’s Stop Hiding And Get To The Real 10 Reasons Bamuturaki Is Being Hounded Out Of Uganda Airlines:
Local Issues
1- Bamuturaki joined the airline as Commercial Director during Mr Muleya’s reign as CEO. But the time came when his cabal wanted to pass some shoddy deals through her department, to make them look like genuine contracts, which she declined to join. So they became suspicious. She looked odd woman-out. She refused to ‘cooperate’. Now they had to find a reason to kick her out, when they failed, they found one leeway. Under ‘performance’! So they kicked her out on account of their failure to meet their expectations! She was kicked out. Meanwhile, she had been keeping all her evidence tight t her chest.
When the president kicked them out, he brought back the girl they had said was underperforming, first as Ag.CEO then full CEO! This has never sunk in their brains, they must fight to the last man.
2- Despite the fact that Muleya and the team were seated on a goldmine, earning billions, they had not done so much in terms of route plans and opening of the same to start on the long journey of breaking even. In fact, even the very first routes were supervised and opened by Jennifer when she was still commercial Director. These routes included; Nairobi, Mombasa, Bujumbura, Dar es Salaam and Mogadishu. Then, immediately she was appointed Ag CEO, and she opened Johannes burg and Dubai. Jennifer, in her acting capacity as CEO, has also done so far feasibility studies on 8 routes that are soon opening, these include; Direct flights to London, Mumbai, Lubumbashi, Goma, Lagos, Accra, Khartoum and Jeddah. This is not good news for the other cabal we talked about above. They’ve to fight so she can fail.
Local Contracts Fights:
3– Self Handling: Our Spy has it on good grounds that when Jennifer took over, she vowed to save money for the country by buying the airlines its own equipment for self-handling. The two companies currently doing this service are private companies owned by big fish in Government. Now, for you to understand Jennifer’s dilemma you need to go to URSB and find out who owned Entebbe Handling Services (ENHAS) which later changed to NAS and DAS services. Let me help you, one powerful big fish whose daughter marries the first son of one of the countries in EAC owns NAS with some powerful Kuwait bossiness tycoons. And then one of the directors of DAS is Bob Kabonero of ‘Mozambique’, among others. Uganda airlines, by doing self-handling, it will be saving not less than a minimum of USD200,000 (approx. 760,000,000/= per month.
READ ALSO: Full CV: Here Is The Shocking Experience That Makes Bamuturaki The Fittest Uganda Airline CEO
Now, let a good Ugandan Samaritan calculate this figure multiplied by the number of years these guys have been in charge of the airport services you will thank Jennifer later. This, and more, by the way, is what Jennifer is trying to save back into the national coffers. Do you think those people will simply fold their hands?
4- Pilots And Cabin Crew Contracts: Whereas Jennifer thinks suppliers for airlines Cabin Crew should be open bidding, a certain handsome, eloquent kingpin from the Eastern region with an aviation school thinks the contract should be a preserve of the arrow boys master! Not only that, but even his son has something he wants especially for himself at the national airlines. Jennifer, according to our spy who eavesdrops on these conversations for us, advises otherwise, but the guys are stuck to their guns, they want the contracts by hook or crook! Do you think they’re seated?
5- Jobs: According to our spy, there are privileged sons and daughters of the big fish in this city who feel they should be the ones working there and they shouldn’t be asked to apply and seat interviews. No, the big fish should pick up their phone while sunbathing in San Francisco and call poor Jennifer back home for their child’s job and it should be granted, if you don’t want, to vacate someone else who will do it come in!
Regional Fights
6- Before Uganda airlines resumed business, this Uganda and the region was some country’s main cash cow. Bamuturaki is giving these guys a run for their money because she is taking over quite a significant share of their clientele base,moreover, in a short time. It’s in their best interest to ensure workaholic and strategic Bamuturaki exits their routes by hook or crook, hence the sponsored bad PR.
Before Uganda airlines came on board, we only had Ethiopian airlines, Kenya, Rwandair, Egypt and the Emirates. Most of the Ugandan traders now fly with UG airlines to Dubai, Nairobi etc. So there is a competition by Jennifer’s team already.
7- Air Uganda Resumption: Most people might have been wondering why a certain sister Media House of Aga Khan has clandestinely been writing outright hogwash about Jennifer as a person and the Uganda airline. Wonder no more, our spy was in Nairobi few weeks ago to pick feelers from Nairobi and compare notes with those he had picked on ground in Uganda, Aga Khan strategists, according to our spy are contemplating on revamping the Air Uganda, where Jennifer first worked by the way. Air Uganda started operations in 2007 and collapsed in 2014. Air Uganda had been widely recognized as Uganda’s national carrier since the collapse of Uganda Airlines in May 2001. So the key word here is that Air Uganda is always prepared to take over as soon as Uganda airlines collapses!
Now, that the route looks lucrative by the looks of how Uganda airlines has fared in a very short period, the strategists think Uganda airlines should be given bad PR, it collapses and leave the route for Aga Khan’s Air Uganda, just like in 2001. Aga Khan is a giant in the region media wise where by thru plan to give their mega advertisements to pick up even faster. So the sponsored bad PR via one of their outlets in Uganda is not by mistake. In fact, even Muleya and his team have used this media outlet in Kampala to champion their ills and selfish interests at the expense of national interests. Partly, it’s because this media house had a big budget at during Muleya’s reign, and Jennifer has since refused to kowtow in their puhu, our sources added.
International Fights
8- Mixjet Fuel Supplier: Just like you see Shell or Total in Uganda that supply most of Gov’ts’ MDAs, the company that supplies fuel to Uganda airlines’ aircraft is called Mixjet. Our spy has it on good grounds that the exorbitant and crazy contract which they had signed with Mr Muleya and the team expired in April 2022. They’ve been beseeching Jennifer to ‘simply’ renew on ‘usual’ terms in vain.
But Why Did Jennifer Decline?
- According to our sources, Jennifer got to know that when the Muleyas were bargaining, in order not to be detected for taking a cut out of the deal, they negotiated and signed for bigger amounts of money. A fat cut would then return to them, this way, there is no way you would detect that they took kickbacks. Because the contractor signs as though it’s all his, only to return their kickbacks. This is how the taxpayer loses billions to individuals’ selfish interests. So when the contract expired, they came back quoting the same exorbitant figures, which Jennifer declined to agree with.
- In fact, Jennifer told them if they were not willing to reduce significantly, then the company should call other suppliers for open bidding and get the cheapest suppliers. That also has caused a stomachache to some people at Entebbe who expected their kickbacks like always. Since April when the contract expired, Mixjet is supplying on temporary short agreements as they await for final decision. But this also explains part of the sponsored propaganda. Jennifer wants to save money from the previously signed exorbitant contracts. That’s also a ‘landmine’ for her to pick.
9- Supply Of More Planes As Per The 2016 NPA BIP:
Remember I told you about NPA’s BIP which they presented to the cabinet in 2016? The plan also has intentions to buy more planes, Namely; Two (2) midranges, Cargo Flights (2) and Charter plane (one).
- Now, the mafias who sourced for the first lot and made hefty kickbacks valued in billions, want to be the ones again to negotiate for these ones. But Jennifer knows what they did and they already suspect she won’t kowtow to their poohoo. So the safest way to safeguard their path is to start fighting for her removal earlier so that by the time of the purchase they will, maybe have one of their own. This is another ‘landmine’ for her to pick.
10- The other companies in the world who think Bombardier shouldn’t be the sole supplier of planes for Uganda, also want to partake of the next purchase which is in BIP. But some think Jennifer, in their view, is becoming closer to Bombardier Company than them and may not give them chance. All those are battles at Entebbe Airport for one small girl, Jennifer.
When they tried to foil her from the other side and failed, their only last saviour now became Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi’s COSASE ‘court’. If you doubt this, I invite you to very closely watch both videos of Jennifer and Muleya before COSASE ‘Court’. You will realize that one came to be given an audience to explain himself and win ice cream and the other came for embarrassment and roasting for dinner. But is Ssenyonyi doing this for free? I will reveal this when I compile the wealth he has acquired in just two years, which he couldn’t acquire in over 15 years in other fields including journalism. One pundit sarcastically said he’s now competing with Hon. Sam Kutesa in speed at which he acquires properties. But does the appointing authority know all these machinations? Yes he does, according to sources, the reason he recently threw a jab at Ssenyonyi in one of his comments about the ongoing ‘probe’.
On Monday I will tackle the controversies behind Jennifer’s appointment. Whether she was legally or illegally appointed. Nice Sunday.
