The shocking details emerging indicate that the current Leader of Opposition, Joel Ssenyonyi who also doubles as the National Unity Platform took a Ugx1.4 billion bribe from authorities at the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority to forge a report about the organization.
The authority had been immensely engaged in a fraud scandal that tainted the image of the Aviation body. In 2022, Ssenyonyi, the then COSASE chairperson led the investigation of institution misgiving.
CAA had been accused of engaging in the swindling and mismanaging of up to Ugx 720 billion that had been borrowed from the Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank) of China to repair and upgrade several installations at Uganda’s main Port of entry and Exit.
Among the infrastructure that required renovation included the taxiways at the airport, the runways 17/30 and 18/35, and the terminal building.
However, CAA first hired Seyani and Brothers for Consultation but later it was established that the firm was incompetent and their services rendered the airport unsafe.
Despite forcing the works, the airport remained in a sorry state leading to the overshooting of the Rwanda Airline aircraft on the runway as it was landing in Entebbe in 2022.
The incident intensified the probe at the COSASE before the president immediately ordered the UPDF Engineering Brigade to take over the works of the construction and upgrade of the Airport.
Findings by COSASE
COSASE established that Seyani and Brothers hired a 13-year-old consultant to engage in the repairs and upgrade of such a facility, contrary to what was required.
The members also found out that the contractor subcontracted part of the work at the international airport to a company whose owner was underage.
Furthermore, the committee established that the booth for ticket payment and check-in machines was built at a whopping UGX 5.6 billion were not operating.
Also, the COSASE committee found out that the sums of money collected from parking fees and tickets at the airport weren’t being accounted for. It was being eaten by the mafia networks at the airport.
So, after the team compiled its good report and handed it over to Ssenyonyi as the head of COSASE such that he could present it on the floor of Parliament, the Committee members were shocked when he presented a fake report, devoid of the mess they had reported about what was happening at the airport.
Highly placed sources that asked not to be named, told this website that the Nakawa West MP started engagements, with an intermediary who is a senior politician on how the COSASE Chairperson would meet a delegation from the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority.
The Authority, at the time, was led by an acting Director General, Mr. Fred Bamwesigye who had also been accused of not having the requisite requirements to lead such an international Aviation body.
Through emissaries who also involved staff at the Ministry of Works and Transport and a member of the Board of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, Ssenyonyi asked for a whooping Ugx 3 billion to settle the matter.
“We however convinced him to go with the 1.4 billion which he took and didn’t share with colleagues in the committee.” One of the people who delivered the money to the MP said.
Audio recordings this website has heard indicate, that the MP promised to make an intervention that would not further probe the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority whose name had been damaged and not derailed anymore.
No sooner had Ssenyonyi received the money than the Mawokota South MP Yusuf Nsibambi started engaging MPs and the then Leader of the Opposition Mathias Mpuuga complaining about the bribery scheme.
Ssenyonyi, who at the time, was determined not to share his loot with anyone saw bad days coming ahead of him and, according to sources shared up to Ugx 400 million with several MPs.
One of the MPs who allegedly got a share of the loot told this website that such deals often happen amongst opposition legislators.
No sooner had Ssenyonyi presented a fake report in Parliament about the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority than members of the COSASE committee started complaining about the corruption that occurred.
“We also took the issue to the Shadow cabinet and it was discussed. He (Ssenyonyi) was tasked to explain. However, Hon Mpuuga the Leader of Opposition then cared less about the matter,” the source said.
Well as both Ssenyonyi and the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority claim there wasn’t any wrongdoing, Parliament wondered why one person single-handedly changed a committee report if it was not for his gains.
“Take the allegation and utter trash. It is not true,” said Vianney Luggya, the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority Spokesperson. Our efforts to get Ssenyonyi comment on the matter remains futile as he could not pick his known telephone calls.
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