KAMPALA.Uganda’s government is seeking a supplementary budget of about Shs 450 billion to facilitate the procurement of new aircraft for Uganda Airlines.
The request, tabled Monday before Parliament’s Physical Infrastructure Committee, is part of a plan to acquire up to 10 new planes for the national carrier-Uganda Airlines . But legislators said the demand for a large funding injection outside the main 2025/26 budget raises concerns about urgency, transparency and the airline’s ability to operate an expanded fleet.
Uganda Airlines Chief Executive Jenifer Bamuturaki defended the airline’s performance, saying the delays and cancellations troubling passengers were not caused by internal inefficiencies ,but by abrupt airport closure notices — known as “no-terms” — issued by civil aviation authorities across the region.
“These delays and cancellations are coming over a cocktail of a few things,” Bamuturaki said. “When you’re given a no-term, you have to change your schedules, and that causes a delay. For the last three weeks, we have been seeing no-terms in Entebbe, in Bujumbura, in Juba, in Dar es Salaam.”
Transport Minister Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala acknowledged the airline is overstretched ,but insisted it has the capacity to grow once new planes are secured.
“Uganda Airlines manages 38–40% of the traffic through Entebbe,” he said. “With the aircraft we have, we are overstretched. That’s why sometimes they have to wait for an aircraft coming from another route to land, be worked on and then go to another route.”
However , the legislators questioned why the government did not budget for the aircraft during the normal budgeting cycle, instead opting for an expensive supplementary request — a mechanism legally intended for emergencies or unforeseen expenditures.
Kira Municipality MP Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the Shadow Finance Minister, said the government was mishandling the process. “Knowing the law that governs supplementary budgets, where does this fall?” he asked. “When did this become an emergency? Uganda Airlines is about Shs450 billion for normal investment. You make Parliament look shabby over things we shouldn’t quarrel about.”
Bugabula North MP Maurice Kibalya questioned whether Uganda Airlines can operate 10 new aircraft at once, urging a phased acquisition strategy. “Let’s purchase three in the first one or two years, add another three later, then four,” he proposed. “But we are purchasing ten at once.”
Kibalya also criticised what he called persistent management weaknesses. “People have developed a love for Uganda Airlines… but the management is not answering the love and the wishes,” he said. “General Wamala, you are a respected General — fix Uganda Airlines.”
Mityana North MP Kibedi Nsegumire backed the fleet expansion ,but warned that customer dissatisfaction stemming from delays was eroding the brand. “We are buying aircrafts but losing customers. People complain of delays of two to four hours,” he said.
The government’s Shs450 billion request comes as Uganda Airlines continues to face public anger over timing disruptions and cancellations, even as passenger numbers rise. The airline currently operates a small fleet of CRJ900s and Airbus A330neos and has ambitions to expand into long-haul and regional markets.
Committee scrutiny is expected to intensify as lawmakers weigh the financing plan against ongoing delays and the airline’s operational limitations. Parliament will issue recommendations before the supplementary budget is forwarded for approval by the full House.
The supplementary request is one of the largest sought for the national carrier since its revival in 2019.