Entebbe Airport Saga: Discrepancies, Unchecked Millions, and the Gaps in Byamukama’s Crackdown

What the report says

Watchdog Uganda reported that 13 Uganda Civil Aviation Authority officials appeared before the Entebbe Chief Magistrate’s Court on 9 November 2026 and denied the charges against them before being remanded to Kigo Prison until 18 November. The accused include senior technical staff such as the Chief Engineer, IT Manager and Aerodrome Maintenance Head. The case follows State Minister for Works and Transport Fred Byamukama’s inspection of damaged installations at Entebbe International Airport four days earlier, when he publicly described the situation as serious, mentioned possible terrorism-related allegations and cited a potential repair bill of as much as Shs23 billion.

According to the article, the court record does not match some of the minister’s public claims. It says 12 suspects face neglect-of-duty charges and four are accused under the Electricity Act over alleged wire cutting or removal, but no terrorism count appears on the charge sheet. The report also highlights a dispute over former UCAA director Eng. Ayub Sooma, whom Byamukama said was on the run. It says police later invited Sooma for questioning at a Kampala address, and notes that he had retired in July 2026 and formally handed over duties before the period covered by the allegations.

The publication argues that the case raises questions about due process, the accuracy of public statements, and the scale of the claimed damage and repairs. It also says no detailed breakdown of the estimated costs has been made public. More broadly, the story places the arrests in the context of recent leadership changes and scrutiny at Entebbe airport, where technical oversight and procurement issues have been under attention for some time.