Museveni appoints Ethiopian aviation veteran Girma Wake as Uganda Airlines CEO
The appointment was confirmed on Thursday by the State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Balaam Barugahara, in a post on X [formerly Twitter]
KAMPALA, February 5, 2026 — President Yoweri Museveni has appointed Girma Wake, former chairman of the Ethiopian Airlines Group, as interim Chief Executive Officer [CEO] of the troubled Uganda National Airlines Company Limited.
The appointment was confirmed on Thursday by the State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Balaam Barugahara, in a post on X [formerly Twitter].
Barugahara wrote: “Meeting and interacting with our new Uganda Airlines’ experienced CEO, Mr. Girma Wake. President @KagutaMuseveni has appointed an expatriate from Ethiopia as the new Chief Executive Officer of Uganda Airlines. Mr. Wake is widely regarded as one of the finest aviation minds on the African continent. He previously served as CEO of Ethiopian Airlines (2004–2011), where he played a pivotal role in transforming the carrier into the global powerhouse it is today. Congratulations to Mr. Girma Wake on his appointment. God bless General @mkainerugaba for recommending one of Africa’s finest minds to drive the transformation of our national airline.”
Wake’s appointment follows President Museveni’s decision not to renew the contract of Jennifer Bamuturaki, whose term as CEO ends in May this year. On Tuesday, the President announced on X that he had met Wake at State House.
“I met Mr. Girma Wake, the former CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, alongside Mr. Robert Kateera at State House today,” Museveni posted on X.
The meeting took place amid ongoing investigations into allegations of abuse of office, embezzlement of funds and false accounting involving officials at Uganda Airlines. The probes are being conducted jointly by the Criminal Investigations Directorate [CID] and the State House Anti-Corruption Unit, and focus on several financial transactions undertaken by the national carrier.
Wake’s appointment comes barely a day after the Board of Directors of Uganda National Airlines advertised the CEO position, seeking a visionary and results-oriented leader to provide strategic direction and oversee the airline’s sustainable growth and performance.
Wake previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines from 2004 to 2011, and later chaired the board of Rwanda’s national carrier, RwandAir, from 2012 to 2017. He returned to the Ethiopian Airlines Group in 2018 as a board member and was appointed chairman in 2022.
In June 2023, he was replaced as chairman by Yilma Merdassa, the head of the Ethiopian Air Force. At the time, Ethiopian Airlines praised Wake’s “enormous contribution to the growth and success of the airline group” and said his legacy would “take a special place in the history of the group”.
Wake joined Ethiopian Airlines in 1965 after graduating, at a time when the carrier was largely managed by American personnel from Trans World Airlines (TWA). He rose rapidly through the ranks, becoming one of the first Ethiopians to hold senior executive positions at the airline.
He served at Ethiopian Airlines for nearly three decades before resigning in 1993 following leadership disagreements with the newly installed Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) government.
In November 2003, Wake—then head of cargo operations at Gulf Air—was invited by the then Ethiopian Airlines chairman and foreign affairs minister, Seyoum Mesfin, to return as CEO. Although initially reluctant, he accepted the role in February 2004.
At the time, Ethiopian Airlines operated just 12 aircraft and carried about 1.2 million passengers annually. Under Wake’s leadership, the airline implemented its Vision 2010 strategy, launched in 2005.
Despite early scepticism, the strategy delivered rapid expansion, with the airline growing at an average annual rate of 25 per cent between 2005 and 2010. By the end of that period, passenger numbers had nearly tripled to 3.2 million, the fleet had expanded to 37 aircraft, and Ethiopian Airlines had one of the youngest fleets in the world. The carrier also joined the Star Alliance in 2011.
During his tenure, Ethiopian Airlines created approximately 1,500 jobs and significantly increased employee incomes. The airline also expanded its footprint across Africa through strategic partnerships, including a 45 per cent stake in West Africa’s ASKY Airlines.
After stepping down as CEO in 2011, Wake was succeeded by Tewolde Gebremariam. He later served as chairman of United Insurance Company, before taking leadership roles at RwandAir and returning to the Ethiopian Airlines Group in 2018.
https://thecooperator.news/uganda-airlines-announces-more-routes-in-africa/
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