EXCLUSIVE! M7 Pardons 152 Fired CAA Staff Over Corruption, ‘Fake Papers’
KAMPALA: President Yoweri Museveni has pardoned scores of former Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) employees who were dismissed following a corruption crackdown at Entebbe International Airport, with the affected workers now pushing for the Presidential decision to be formally implemented so they can access their terminal and retirement benefits.
According to a document seen by RedPepper, the former staff claim that President Museveni pardoned them following a meeting on March 5, 2026, after they petitioned Parliament over what they describe as unfair dismissals arising from a June 2025 directive on alleged corruption at Entebbe International Airport.
The workers say the President’s intervention offered them a lifeline after months of unemployment, financial distress and uncertainty over their benefits.
However, they claim that despite the Presidential pardon, no formal administrative instrument has been issued to operationalise the decision, leaving them stuck outside UCAA and unable to fully access the benefits arising from their years of service.
In a petition dated July 16, 2026, addressed to the Speaker of Parliament and seen by RedPepper, the former employees are now asking Parliament to intervene and ensure the Presidential decision is implemented.
M7’S PARDON
The former employees say their battle began after President Museveni issued a directive on June 25, 2025, concerning alleged corruption at Entebbe International Airport.
According to the petitioners, a list containing 152 officers was reportedly generated for action.
However, they claim only 80 employees (low level) were eventually issued with dismissal letters, while other officers, including senior officials, directors, managers and employees from certain departments, remained in employment.
The former workers want Parliament to establish why the final list was reduced from the reported 152 and whether the disciplinary process was applied equally across the Authority.
Their biggest breakthrough came after they took the matter to Parliament.
They first presented their grievances to Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, after which the matter was referred to Transport Minister Fred Byamukama.
The petitioners say the Minister intervened and helped facilitate their meeting with President Museveni on March 5, 2026.
It was after that meeting, they claim, that the President pardoned the affected employees.
But according to the former workers, the Presidential pardon has not translated into an actual administrative remedy.
They say there is no formal instrument directing UCAA on how to implement the decision.
CONTROVERSY OVER THE MEETING AND FOLLOW-UP CLAIMS
However, conflicting accounts have emerged regarding the alleged State House meeting.
RedPepper reached out to Deputy Presidential Press Secretary and Senior Presidential Advisor on Press and Mobilisation, Hajji Farouk Kirunda, who denied that the meeting ever took place.
However, one of the affected staff members who spoke to RedPepper insisted that the meeting did take place in the morning hours of March 5, 2026.
According to the same sources, before proceeding to State House, the delegation reportedly first met former Works and Transport Minister Gen. Katumba Wamala, who is said to have bade them farewell and encouraged them to plead their case before the President.
Those who attended the meeting say it lasted about 20 minutes, and that Minister Byamukama allegedly instructed them not to say anything during the meeting hence acting as their spokesperson since they were in a vulnerable position.
There are also allegations that the President may have followed up the pardon directive with a written communication, but that the document is allegedly being held within Ministry of Works corridors and has not been publicly acted upon.
Further allegations have emerged that some affected staff are being approached and asked to accept a 12% deduction from their retirement benefits as a condition for being fully pardoned and processed.
The workers want Parliament to investigate these claims, which they say amount to coercion and unfair treatment.
RedPepper reached out to Ministry of Works spokesperson Allan Kyobe, but he did not respond to inquiries.
Minister Fred Byamukama was also contacted but had not responded by press time.
The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) was similarly contacted for comment, but had not issued a response by publication time.
With many of the affected workers having served UCAA and the aviation sector for periods ranging from six to 34 years, the former employees say the prolonged uncertainty has left them facing severe financial hardship.
Some have outstanding bank loans, while others have struggled to pay school fees and meet basic household expenses.
Those who occupied UCAA houses were also ordered to vacate, according to the petition.
The workers argue that their age, specialised aviation skills and limited employment opportunities in the sector have made it extremely difficult for them to secure alternative jobs.
They are therefore asking for appropriate remedies, including reinstatement or any other relief Parliament considers just.
They also want the authorities to ensure that the Presidential pardon is implemented and that those entitled to their terminal and retirement benefits are allowed to access them without further delays.
‘WE SERVED UGANDA FOR DECADES’
The former employees insist that they were not simply casual workers who could be discarded after years of service.
They say many had served the country for decades and received specialised training locally and internationally in aviation security, firefighting, airport operations and other areas.
Their petition cites their participation in major national and international events, including Papal visits, Presidential visits, Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) preparations, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit and international aviation audits.
They also argue that many affected employees had strong performance records.
Among those cited is Richard Odwong, whom the petition says was voted the Authority’s best-performing employee for three consecutive years, yet was eventually dismissed for alleged incompetence.
Another employee (names withheld), is described as having rejected and reported an alleged bribery attempt involving members of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group and subsequently receiving a certificate of recognition from UCAA.
The petitioners argue that such examples contradict the suggestion that all affected workers were incompetent.
FIRED OVER LIFT, FIRE AND OTHER INCIDENTS
The former employees also challenge the circumstances under which some of them were accused of incompetence.
They particularly question allegations linked to the incident in which Mama Maria Nyerere was trapped in a lift at Entebbe International Airport for about four minutes.
The petitioners argue that operational staff who were dismissed were not responsible for procurement, installation, maintenance or technical management of the lifts.
They want Parliament to establish who was responsible for maintenance and whether previous lift failures had been reported and acted upon.
They similarly challenge accountability arising from a cargo fire incident, arguing that firefighters responded to the emergency under difficult conditions and that the availability of equipment, management decisions and response coordination should have been considered before individual workers were blamed.
‘WE WERE NOT GIVEN A FAIR SHOT’
The petitioners further accuse UCAA of failing to provide some affected workers with the UNEB verification report that allegedly formed the basis of the disciplinary action.
They say employees were instead served with letters demanding explanations, followed by disciplinary hearings and dismissal letters.
The former workers also question the composition of the disciplinary committee, claiming that some members themselves were under investigation at the time.
They further say a minority report containing alternative recommendations was submitted by a committee member representing the workers, but was not considered.
The workers want Parliament to investigate how the final list of dismissed employees was generated and why some officers were excluded from the disciplinary action.
APPEALS DELAYED
The former employees say they exercised their right to appeal under the UCAA Collective Bargaining Agreement, which provides for appeals within specified timelines.
However, they claim their appeals were only heard approximately seven months later.
They further complain that many appellants have not received formal feedback or final decisions.
According to the petition, the workers exhausted internal administrative channels and also engaged Government officials, but say they were repeatedly assured that their grievances would be addressed.
They claim those assurances did not produce a resolution.
M7’S PARDON NOW THE BIG TEST
The former employees say the President’s intervention should now be translated into action.
They are asking Parliament to examine why the Presidential pardon has allegedly remained unimplemented and to recommend appropriate remedies.
They also want Parliament to investigate whether the dismissal process complied with the UCAA collective bargaining agreement, whether all implicated officers were treated equally and whether responsibility for the disputed incidents was fairly assigned.
For the workers, the issue is now bigger than the original dismissal.
It is about whether a Presidential intervention made after they personally met the President will finally unlock the door to their livelihoods and benefits.
The petitioners say they remain ready to serve Uganda if given the opportunity, but if reinstatement is not possible, they want their legitimate entitlements processed without further obstruction.
“We are not seeking special treatment. We are seeking fairness, justice and an opportunity to have our matter determined objectively,” the former employees state in their petition.
They conclude with an appeal to Parliament: the accusers have been heard, and now the accused want their day before the relevant committee.
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