Court Orders Civil Aviation Authority to Pay Shs26m to Dismissed Whistleblower

Updated by Eric Kikomeko at 1912 EAT on Monday 15 December 2025

The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) has been ordered to pay Shs26 million to a former employee who was unfairly dismissed after exposing a passenger attempting to smuggle 12 rhino horns through Entebbe International Airport. The ruling highlights the challenges faced by whistleblowers in Uganda and underscores the legal protections available for employees reporting wrongdoing.

The Industrial Division of the High Court found that Arnold Olweny Bonaventure had been unlawfully terminated and awarded him general damages equivalent to one year’s salary. At the time of his dismissal, Olweny was earning Shs2.1 million per month. The court noted that he had already received notice pay, accumulated leave, and a service gratuity, and had served the authority for seven years.

According to court records, Olweny raised concerns after noticing irregularities in the handling of a passenger who was attempting to transport 12 rhino horns—an illegal wildlife trade offense—through the country’s main international airport. Following his report, Olweny was terminated, a move the court deemed retaliatory and unlawful.

Legal experts say the ruling sets an important precedent in Uganda for the protection of whistleblowers, particularly those exposing high-stakes criminal activity such as wildlife trafficking. It sends a clear signal to public institutions that retaliatory dismissals will not be tolerated and that employees acting in the public interest are entitled to full legal remedies.

The Industrial Division of the High Court has ordered the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) to pay Shs25,957,800 to Arnold Olweny Bonaventure, a former employee who was unlawfully dismissed after exposing a passenger attempting to smuggle 12 rhino horns through Entebbe International Airport, according to The Observer.

The court noted that Olweny was earning Shs2,163,150 per month at the time of his termination, had received notice pay, accumulated leave, and service gratuity, and had served the authority for seven years. “We think the sum of Shs25,957,800, representing one year’s pay, would adequately serve as general damages, and we so award it,” the court ruled.

The award, however, fell far below the Shs300 million Olweny had sought. The court rejected the higher claim as excessive and unsupported, reasoning that awarding general damages exceeding Shs207 million—Olweny’s total earnings over his entire employment—would be unjustified without aggravating circumstances. Claims for future earnings were also dismissed as speculative. “The contention that the claimant was deprived of seventy-two months’ pay amounting to Shs50,965,776 as future salary is speculative. The Industrial Court has previously declined to grant prospective earnings as a remedy, and we would likewise decline to award damages on that basis,” the ruling stated.

Court records show that on August 18, 2017, Olweny, then a security assistant at Entebbe International Airport, became suspicious of a bag handled by a loader and later by a passenger. He alerted his supervisor and officials from the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), triggering a coordinated operation that uncovered 12 rhino horns and led to an arrest.

Despite his whistleblower role, Olweny was later implicated in the smuggling attempt, arrested, and suspended on half pay on August 31, 2017, for allegedly facilitating the crime. He was later discharged by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) after security footage confirmed his innocence.

Olweny was subsequently subjected to disciplinary proceedings before the UCAA disciplinary committee, which he contested, citing bias. In January 2018, he received a termination letter dismissing him without a hearing. His appeal to the managing director on February 1, 2018, was rejected five days later.

He then filed a complaint of unlawful dismissal at the Entebbe Labour Office, seeking Shs300 million in compensation and demanding that UCAA clear a Shs30 million salary loan. While the Labour Officer ruled in his favour, the issue of compensation was referred to the Industrial Court, where Justice Anthony Wabwire Musana presided. The court dismissed Olweny’s other claims, citing insufficient evidence.

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