Internal audit finds irregularities in Uganda Airlines marketing spending

An internal audit at Uganda Airlines has found irregularities in how the state-owned carrier awarded and paid for marketing contracts. The airline spent about 1.6 billion Ugandan shillings, roughly 369,000 euros, on branding and image services during the 2024/25 financial year, the audit found.

That figure was 42 percent above the amounts originally agreed in the contracts, according to the audit report, as cited by the newspaper Uganda Observer.

The review flagged several problems. Some payments were made after a contract had already expired. Other spending was not backed by formal purchase orders. In some cases there was no documentation proving that services had actually been delivered.

The report recommends disciplinary action against a number of individuals it holds responsible for the lapses, though it does not name them.

Uganda Airlines continues to operate at a loss. The carrier has said it aims to reach profitability by 2030. The audit gives no further detail on how the marketing spending irregularities might affect that timeline, and the airline has not yet issued a public response to the findings.