Who was Maj. Naome Karungi?

Maj. Naome Karungi was one of the few female pilots Uganda who had penetrated the male-dominated profession. 

Karungi joined the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) in 2001 under President Yoweri Museveni's affirmative action. 

She started flying helicopters in 2005 and at the time of her demise, Karungi had been flying planes for the past 15 years.

In an interview with a local TV station last year, Karungi said she was not inspired by anyone to start flying planes.

In another interview, Karungi thanked the President for giving her an opportunity to join the armed forces.

"In the military, women are given special opportunities to shine," she said.

She said the journey started with joining the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), where she got the chance to go to Soroti Flying School.

"The rest is history," she told a local reporter last year.

After getting the basics, Karungi was posted to the Uganda People's Defence Air Force in Entebbe, where she was asked what she wanted to fly. She opted for helicopters.

"It has been a total transformation in my life. Jumping out of the university into a cadet school and then you go to a flying school. It has changed my life completely," she said.

Asked about her social and military life, Karungi told the reporter, "Military first."

Some of the challenges she faced during her life as a pilot included one time when the generator went off. However, she was able to sort it.

The other challenges she mentioned were wind, high temperature and topography. 

In her last message, Karungi said: "For the ladies, the military is the place to be."