Girma Wake appointed interim CEO of Uganda Airlines
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has appointed veteran airline executive Ato Girma Wake as interim CEO of Uganda Airlines, effective immediately, with current CEO Jennifer Bamuturaki directed to step aside and hand over to Wake and the Board. Announced on 17 February 2026, the directive states Wake will also serve as consultant and advisor to address management weaknesses and act as CEO until a new chief is appointed by July 2026.
Wake, a former CEO of Ethiopian Airlines and past chair of both Ethiopian Airlines Group and RwandAir, also held senior roles at DHL and Gulf Air. The leadership change is intended to strengthen governance and operational performance, with potential impacts on network development, service reliability and air connectivity that support Uganda’s tourism and trade growth.
