The Industrial Court has awarded Shs 25.9 million in general damages to Arnold Olweny Bonaventure, a former security guard at the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA), after finding that his dismissal was unlawful and unfair.
The court ruled that UCAA failed to accord Olweny a fair hearing and could not properly justify the reasons for terminating his employment following a high-profile rhino horn smuggling incident at Entebbe International Airport.
The dispute arose in August 2017, when Olweny was working as a security assistant at the airport. According to court records, Olweny became suspicious of a bag that had been brought into the airport by a loader and later taken over by a passenger.
He reported the matter to his supervisor and alerted officials from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The alert led to a joint operation that uncovered 12 rhino horns concealed in a passenger’s luggage and resulted in the arrest of the suspect.
Despite his role in exposing the smuggling attempt, Olweny was later arrested, interrogated, and accused of facilitating the crime. On August 31, 2017, UCAA suspended him on half pay pending investigations.
However, the Director of Public Prosecutions later reviewed the evidence, including CCTV footage, and formally cleared Olweny, describing him as a whistleblower rather than a suspect.
Even after the criminal case collapsed, UCAA’s internal disciplinary committee proceeded with disciplinary action. Olweny objected to the process, arguing that some members of the committee were biased and that he had not been properly informed of the charges against him.
On January 16, 2018, UCAA terminated his employment. His appeal to the managing director was rejected barely weeks later.
Feeling aggrieved, Olweny reported the matter to the labour officer, who found that the termination was unlawful and ordered UCAA to pay severance, notice pay, gratuity, and accumulated leave. However, claims for general damages, exemplary damages, and costs were referred to court for determination.
Before the Industrial Court, Olweny, represented by lawyer Sadat Bbale, argued that his dismissal breached the Employment Act and UCAA’s own disciplinary procedures. Bbale told the court that the termination caused Olweny “mental distress, humiliation, anxiety, and reputational damage,” especially given that he had been wrongly linked to wildlife crime despite acting in the public interest.
Olweny asked the court to award him between Shs300 million and Shs500 million in general damages, arguing that he had been deprived of employment for several years and had suffered serious emotional harm. He also asked the courtreading Former to order UCAA to clear a Shs 30 million salary loan he had taken from Absa Bank, and to award exemplary damages to punish the authority for what he described as high-handed conduct.
UCAA, represented by Joseph Okwalinga from its legal department, opposed the claim. The authority argued that Olweny had been lawfully dismissed for misconduct related to the smuggling incident and that due process had been followed.
UCAA denied breaching the Employment Act and maintained that Olweny was not entitled to any additional damages beyond what the labour officer had already awarded.