UGANDA AIRLINES LAUNCHES MOBILE APP IN AN ON GOING AGGRESSIVE MARKETING DRIVE

 In order to consolidate its pole position in Uganda’s aviation industry and beyond , Uganda Airlines has launched its Mobile App to make it more convenient for travelers to consume the national carrier’s services.

“This launch is a key milestone as the airline strives to improve its service delivery, ensuring a convenient and user-friendly booking and ticketing process and an overall delightful buyer experience for its customers, “ Uganda Airlines CEO Ms. Jennifer Bamuturaki said at colorful launch event held at Sheraton hotel in the capital Kampala.

Bamuturaki said that besides a personalised travel experience, the App will streamline communication between the airline and its customers.

“When we go through third-parties such as travel agents to book passengers, there is a snag in the communication flow, because we don’t have access to basic information such as the clients telephone contacts. If we happen to have a service disruption for any reason, it will be easier for us keep our guests updated through the App,” she added.

The App has a flight tracking function of the carrier’s flights in real-time and travellers can pay for flights using the major international debit or credit cards, or the mobile-money wallets offered by telecom operators within East Africa, Bamuturaki explained further.

Speaking at the same event Chief Commercial Officer Adedayo Olawuyi, noted that airline guests rely heavily on their mobile phones for their regular activities, including travel, and it was  therefore, essential for Uganda Airlines to provide convenience with the new App in the palm of every traveler.

Adedayo Olawuyi also clarified that  the new  App was not in any way, intended to supplant travel agents services a complimentary tool for the traveler to have convenient means to book and track their  flights in real time .

“We are not against our partners in the travel trade, we still value the sales agents and shall continue to work with them. We simply realised that people are increasingly reliant on their mobile phones for regular activities including travel; hence the need for us to bring the convenience of this App within reach of their arm,” he explained.

“For example, once a customer has filled in basic details like their biodata and identity documents, they will not need to file them again when they book their next trip. All this will now be securely stored and automatically prompted for every time the customer logs into the App,” Don Mubiru said.

The App’s initial functionality will allow users to search for flights, make reservations, check-in and process digital boarding passes, as well as well as enrollment into the carrier’s Craneflyer frequent flyer programme.  Users can also indicate their meal preferences in advance.

About Uganda Airline ;

Uganda Airlines is Uganda’s flagship national passenger and cargo carrier that started in 2019. It provides scheduled air transportation services in East Africa and near-international markets.

Uganda Airlines was awarded the World's Youngest Aircraft Fleet Award, given by Ch-Aviation in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

For more information about the Company, visit: https://ugandairlines.co

The writer is a communications and media consultant/trainer and Advocate of the High Court of Uganda

msserwanga@gmail.com

KCCA Dorothy Kisaka’s Tenure : Reduced Political Tensions ,Increased Potholes , Boda Boda Maniacs

 By Moses Sserwanga

Dorothy Kisaka’s  tenure at the helm of Kampala Capital City  Authority (KCCA) as Executive  Director is set to end on July 23rd, 2023 and there are mixed feelings about her performance .

While some people have credited her for having reduced the political tensions and flares between the executive arm of the city and that of the political leadership led by Mayor Elias Lukwago , others have noted that there isn’t much she has done to clean up the city , reduce congestion , manage the menace that are boda bodas and the potholes that Kampala has come to be known for .

President Yoweri Museveni through the Ministry of  Public Service surprised political and development pundits when in June 2021 appointed the little known Kisaka on a three  year contract to manage a disorganized , highly polluted and dirty Kampala city.

This after another technical head , the nonsense ,flamboyant Jenipher Musisi abandoned ship for a more lucrative and less stressing job at the elite  American University Havard.

After three years in charge , and with limited funding from the  central government , a struggling business community  after three years of Covid-19 lock downs , most parts of Kampala remain in darkness during night hours  and the city road network has completely broken down to the extent that citizens have taken to social media to carry out a “ Kampala City Potholes  exhibition” sarcastically  showing national leaders in boats to crossover the wide spread gullies .

The potholes exhibition went far and wide , drawing the attention of President Museveni who ordered for the immediate release of Ug.Shs.5bn to fix the problem .

Authorities at KCCA say that Ug.Shs.5bn was a drop in the ocean and they have thus managed to only carry out  selected soil patching, sectional repairs, grading and gravelling in a few areas of the  city .

The long awaited construction of the old tax park was completed and although it has slightly improved traffic flow in and out of the park, the facility  is still over-crowded with no clear escape routes in cases of an emergency. The markets are a story for another day .

Some 17 junctions were signalised under KIIDP2 and government  financing and these include  among others ,John Babiha (Acacia) Avenue, 5 along Nakawa Ntinda, 2 on Lukuli new road , 3  Kabuusu-Bunamwaya-Lweeza road, Ben Kiwanuka/Luwum Street and Kasubi junction.

Overall, there is public outcry for government to have the political will to fix the problems of Kampala city without fear of losing the vote in 2026 .

Besides , the ruling NRM party is yet to gain any significant support in Kampala city which has a mayor elected from the opposition for a longtime.

What has to be done to fix the nightmare that is Kampala city

Among the major issues that have to be tackled head-on by the next technical leadership at KCCA is to fix the road network in and around Kampala to properly manage and reduce traffic flow in and out of the  city.

Decongestion will  require  diversion and or creation of outskirt routes for heavy  trucks , introduction of bus lanes for both electric and less fossil fuels emitting ICE buses ; introduce a tax for small single occupancy cars that access the central district everyday (key study of London and other European cities ) .

Government should also have the political stamina to solve the problem of boda bodas in Kampala by creating specially gazetted areas and stages for their regulated operations , revamp the city train public transport system and lit the roads.

The city authorities should also come up with creative ways of better management and collection of garbage and protection of  the water channels and systems across the city by heavily penalizing those who are found dumping garbage in these water channels .

Recently, the First lady has come out and called for the removal of street kids another problem which the city authorities are yet to resolve .

Ugandans are longing for a smart , clean , well organized Kampala Capital City .

The writer is a media and communications consultant and Advocate of the High Court of Uganda

Editor: msserwanga@gmail.com