George Michael Mukula, popularly known as Captain Mike Mukula, is a Ugandan politician, businessman and professional pilot who represented Soroti Municipality in Parliament and served as State Minister for Health between 2001 and 2006.
Born on August 27, 1957, in Omodoi village, Soroti District, Mukula built his career in aviation before entering elective politics in 1996. He later became one of the National Resistance Movement’s prominent political figures in the Teso sub-region.
His career has included government service, business ventures, party leadership and a high-profile corruption case that ended with the High Court overturning his conviction in 2013.
Early life and education
Mukula grew up in Soroti in a family that faced financial difficulties. In an interview with Daily Monitor in 2012, he recalled that his parents separated when he was young after his father repeatedly assaulted his mother.
His mother, a teacher, raised the children largely on her own. According to Mukula, school fees were a recurring challenge, sometimes forcing him to leave school temporarily.
He recalled helping his mother sell traditional food and other products to raise money for his education. His mother also sold a bicycle to meet some of his school expenses.
Mukula attended Soroti Demonstration Primary School before joining Teso College Aloet. His recollections of his childhood include walking long distances to school and experiencing periods when the family struggled to afford food.
His interest in aviation developed after visiting an uncle in Entebbe, where he watched pilots and other aviation workers at Entebbe International Airport. He later decided to pursue a career as a pilot.
After completing his secondary education, financial difficulties prevented him from immediately joining a higher institution. He moved to Kampala in search of employment and undertook various jobs before getting an opportunity to pursue flying.
He attended the Kenya School of Flying at Wilson Airport in Nairobi and later continued his pilot training in the United States.
In 2005, he obtained a Master of Business Administration from Nkumba University. He also received an honorary doctorate from the Latin University of Theology in California in 2009.
Mukula has described himself as a Harvard Kennedy School graduate and has referred to studies in political and economic reforms. He has also cited military training in Israel among his educational experiences.
From aviation to business
Before entering politics, Mukula established himself in the aviation industry.
In the late 1980s, he worked as a personal pilot to President Yoweri Museveni. He also owned Cessna aircraft, which he leased to other operators, according to profiles published by New Vision.
His aviation experience later informed his involvement in pilot training and other business activities.
Mukula has also spoken about starting his business career through small-scale trading. In an interview with Daily Monitor, he recalled selling ice cream in Soroti and helping his mother sell traditional food to support the family.
He subsequently ventured into other businesses, including food production and hospitality.
His reported business interests have included Bimbo Ice Cream, China Palace Restaurant, aviation training, construction and media. He has also been associated with Voice of Teso radio in Soroti.
Although Mukula has spoken publicly about the scale of his business operations and employment activities, the financial value of his holdings and the number of people employed across the ventures have not been independently established in the available material.
Political career and government service
Mukula entered elective politics in 1996 when he contested for the Soroti Municipality parliamentary seat on the NRM ticket.
He retained the constituency in the 2001 general election but lost it in 2006 to Willy Ekemu of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC).
He returned to Parliament in 2011 after defeating his rivals in the Soroti Municipality contest.
President Museveni appointed him State Minister for Health in 2001, a position he held until May 2006, when he was dropped in a Cabinet reshuffle.
During his tenure at the Ministry of Health, Mukula was associated with the government’s immunisation and public health programmes.
One of the major initiatives during this period was a nationwide measles immunisation campaign launched in October 2003, targeting children between six months and 15 years.
The government also pursued programmes addressing HIV prevention, maternal health and the expansion of primary healthcare services.
However, attributing the entire development of these programmes to one minister would overlook the work of the Ministry of Health, its technical teams and other government institutions involved in their implementation.
In Parliament, Mukula also supported efforts to address cattle rustling and insecurity affecting Teso and neighbouring areas.
He advocated the disarmament of armed groups in Karamoja, where cattle raids had affected communities in the neighbouring sub-regions.
After returning to Parliament in 2011, he announced in May 2015 that he would not seek another term. He left elective parliamentary politics following the 2016 general election.
The GAVI funds case
One of the most significant controversies in Mukula’s political career was his prosecution over the alleged embezzlement of Shs210 million from funds associated with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI).
The case arose from money provided through the Ministry of Health for health advocacy activities, including immunisation-related programmes.
Mukula was charged alongside then Health Minister Jim Muhwezi, State Minister for Health Alex Kamugisha and former State House aide Alice Kaboyo.
The prosecution alleged that Shs210 million had been misappropriated from funds intended for health advocacy activities.
On January 18, 2013, the Anti-Corruption Court convicted Mukula and sentenced him to four years in prison. He appealed the decision.
On March 13, 2013, the High Court’s Anti-Corruption Division, presided over by Justice David Wangutusi, allowed his appeal, quashed the conviction and set aside the sentence.
The judge found that the prosecution had not established the charge to the required standard and that Mukula was entitled to the benefit of doubt.
The ruling followed a review of evidence concerning the handling of the money, including records indicating that part of the funds had remained under the Ministry of Health’s control.
The appeal court’s decision overturned the conviction. It did not establish that the prosecution had been politically motivated, as Mukula has subsequently suggested when discussing the case.
Party leadership
After leaving Parliament, Mukula remained active in the NRM’s political structures.
He served as the party’s national vice-chairperson for the Eastern Region, representing the region on its Central Executive Committee (CEC), the party’s senior decision-making organ.
In 2025, he sought another term in the position but withdrew his candidature during the party’s internal election process.
Mukula subsequently cited alleged corruption and voter bribery in the campaigns as reasons for his withdrawal.
David Calvin Echodu later won the Eastern Region vice-chairperson position at the NRM delegates’ conference in August 2025.
Mukula’s withdrawal marked the end of his tenure in that regional party leadership position, although he has remained a prominent figure within the NRM.
Family and personal life
Mukula is married to Gladys Mukula. He has spoken publicly about his relationship with his wife and his attachment to his mother, whom he has credited with supporting him through his early difficulties.
In a 2015 interview with Daily Monitor, he discussed his marriage and described his wife’s personality as one of the qualities he admired.
He has also spoken about the importance of discipline, hard work and personal responsibility, values he associates with his upbringing and professional career.
