The new Director General of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority – UCAA Fred Bamwesigye Kanyagoga has been dragged to the Committee on Commissions Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises – COSASE over a number of irregularities cited in his recruitment process.
Bamwesigye who was serving in the position in acting capacity was named the substantive Director General at the start of October, taking over from David Kakuba Mpango whose tenure ended in June 2020.
An appointment letter signed by works and transport Minister Katumba Wamala and seen by The Tower Post further confirmed that Bamwesigye would start his work officially on Friday October 1st.
But barely 15 days into the job, a whistle blower has written to COSASE asking them to investigate the recruitment process which he says was marred with irregularities.
Three Dates of birth.
“Mr. Kanyagoga was irregularly recruited as he didn’t meet the criteria in the advert and lacks the requisite integrity to run such a highly specialized agency with regulatory powers,” the whistleblower who is a senior transport professional wrote in his October 11th letter to COSASE.
In his letter, he cites inconsistencies in Bamwesigye’s dates of birth arguing that the he was way above the recruitment age limit of 35-55 years at the time which was a key requirement.
“Mr Kanyagoga has three different dates of birth i.e. 27th November 1963 according to one of his passports issued on 23rd July 2004. In his other passport, he lists his date of birth as 27th November 1967.”
“Mr Kanyagoga lists his date of birth as 27th November 1963 in his NSSF card and 27th November 1964 according to his application to join Makerere University for the 1985/86 academic year.”
The Tower Post has received copies of all the said documents with the respective dates of birth although we couldn’t independently verify their authenticity.
Academic Papers
While one of Bamwesigye’s passports whose copy this website has seen purports that he was born in 1967, a result verification slip from the Uganda National Examinations Board – UNEB says that he sat for Primary Leaving Examinations – PLE in 1976, only nine years after his birth. This would mean that he started Primary School at the age of two.
“In his official records and CV, he had indicated that he sat PLE in 1978 as Fred Bamwesigye. He also goes ahead to list that he sat for UCE in 1981, just two years after completion of PLE,” the letter further reads.
If Bamwesigye was born in 1963 as according to one of his passports, he would be aged 58 years which is above the 35-55 years requirement for recruitment and hence not eligible to even participate in the process.
“Having a fraudster of this nature being in charge of such a sensitive sector is very risky and he will not live up to the values of air transport which demands adherence to rules. Mr Bamwesigye with all his irregularities also sits on the board of NSSF [National Social Security Fund].”
“I call upon the committee to investigate and save this critical sector from a fraudster and masquerade,” the whistle blower wrote.
The whistleblower’s letter was received and stamped by Parliament security on Monday October 11th 2021 but we couldn’t confirm if the COSASE had received it.
The Tower Post’s efforts to get a comment from COSASE chairperson Joel Ssenyonyi were futile as he repeatedly turned down our phone calls.
UCAA is charged with management of Entebbe International Airport and a host of other civilian airports and aerodromes, including tourist airfields such as Pakuba in Murchison Falls National Park, and the main airstrip in Kidepo Valley National Park.
