Uganda Airlines should not be revived - Balunywa

By Billy Rwothungeyo

FOR a while now, there has been debate in the country on whether Uganda Airlines should be revived.

Many government officials have publicly voiced their support for the idea of reviving the airline. The National Planning Authority (NPA) is preparing a paper on the re-birth of the defunct airline.

Makerere University Business School (MUBS) principal Prof. Waswa Balunywa thinks otherwise. The don, who was the last board chairman of Uganda Airlines, thinks the idea of bringing back the national carrier is not a wise one.

“We cannot bring back Uganda airlines unless we solve the problems of governance in these institutions. While you are talking about the public sector, it cannot succeed unless we address the fundamental issues including governance, corruption,” he said.

Speaking to New Vision after the Economic Outlook Presentation MUBS Annex Campus in Bugolobi, Balunywa said the wider issues of governance should be addressed first before such a venture.

“Why do we fail to do certain things? We fail because of our internal weaknesses. People do not do certain things because they think it is a political issue. Even when you see political issues, you leave them because they will disturb the political status quo.”

Balunywa says government should focus resources on other more pressing needs like improving infrastructure like roads.

“Uganda Airlines is not the type of project that the government should invest in. It is a very expensive project. I would rather we concentrate on projects that improve our competitiveness as a country.”

The defunct Uganda Airlines was founded in May 1976 as a subsidiary of Uganda Development Corporation after the East African Airways fell apart.

 After struggling for many years with a single plane, the airline closed shop in 2011.