Cockroach-in-Bottle Controversy Pits Uganda Airlines Against Wavah Water A leaked internal memo reveals how a contaminated Wavah Water bottle on a Uganda Airlines flight has ignited a clash between the national carrier and the supplier.

A leaked internal letter from Uganda Airlines has exposed a bitter dispute with Wavah Water, one of the carrier’s inflight suppliers, over alleged contamination of bottled water served to passengers.

The correspondence, signed by Dominic Mascarenhas, Manager for Inflight Product and Catering, documented how a sealed 1.5-litre Wavah Water bottle was found with a dead cockroach trapped inside its cap during a routine flight service.

According to an internal letter dated August 21, 2025, and addressed to Ms. Charlotte Mayanja Kakooza, Sales and Client Relations Manager at Wavah Water, Dominic Mascarenhas, Uganda Airlines’ Manager for Inflight Product and Catering, reported that a cabin crew member discovered “a dead cockroach stuck on the inside of the cap” after opening and attempting to reseal the bottle during service. He described the matter as “a very serious and unacceptable food safety failure.”

The letter stressed that such contamination not only risked microbial infection and consumer illness but also posed reputational and legal dangers for both the airline and the supplier.

“Even without consumption, the discovery of a dead insect in bottled water could trigger public outrage, customer mistrust, and potentially damaging media coverage,” Mascarenhas warned.

The airline further noted the regulatory and operational implications of the failure.

Uganda Airlines demanded that Wavah Water formally investigate the matter and take corrective measures, including a detailed action plan with stricter sanitation controls and enhanced quality checks.

However, when CEO East Africa Magazine reached out to Elvis Wavamunno, the Executive Director of Wavah Water, he dismissed the allegations outright. He insisted his company maintains rigorous hygiene standards at its production facility, which supplies Uganda Airlines directly from the factory, bypassing depots where contamination could occur.

“Where we produce water is highly clean, completely,” he said. “Uganda Airlines does not get water from the depot—it gets it straight from the factory. It’s cold, and roaches don’t even exist in those areas. So this was never an isolated incident. It never occurred.”

Wavamunno explained that each batch of water is traceable through production records, and a review of the relevant lot revealed no irregularities.

“If I go back to the batch number and check and find that there was no evidence, I cannot accept blame when water changes hands,” he said.

He invited critics to tour the facilities in person, saying only then would they understand the strict controls in place. Despite the controversy, Wavamunno said Wavah Water continues to supply Uganda Airlines without interruption.

He, however, didn’t say outright whether a full investigation had taken place.

Speaking to this reporter, Uganda Airlines’ PR Manager, Shakila Rahim, admitted to being aware of the issue but said the matter was being handled amicably.

“Yes, it was duly resolved. It was an operational matter and an isolated case. All necessary Standard Operating Procedures were taken, and samples and batches were tested,” Rahim said, framing the issue as a one-off procedural glitch rather than a systemic failure.

She was also quoted in today’s Daily Monitor newspaper saying that the incident was “the first such quality concern reported to us” and that: “Given the many parties and processes involved, we approached the matter with expediency and seriousness”.

“We engaged the supplier, who conducted laboratory testing and shared their production processes with us, which were found satisfactory. Should a similar incident ever recur, Uganda Airlines will review and, if necessary, explore alternative sourcing options to safeguard passenger safety and confidence,” she told Daily Monitor.