A sweeping management reshuffle at the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) has revealed a striking trend: a significant number of the newly appointed acting managers are former employees of Umeme, the private power distributor whose concession ended on April 1, 2025.
Using LinkedIn profiles, corporate records, and professional career histories, CEO East Africa Magazine has pieced together details showing that many of the officials elevated into senior acting positions at UEDCL previously served in senior or mid-level roles at Umeme.
The appointments point to what appears to be a deliberate transfer of institutional knowledge and operational expertise from Umeme into the state-run utility.
An internal memo dated May 6, 2026, signed by Acting Managing Director Joselynne R. Rwakakooko, announced eight acting appointments across key technical, commercial, audit, ICT, and human resource functions.
Out of the eight acting managers appointed, at least five occupy positions that directly sit on UEDCL’s top management team.
The number rises to six when the Acting Managing Director herself, also a former Umeme executive, is included.
UEDCL’s top management structure currently consists of 13 senior officers, including the Managing Director, meaning nearly half of the utility’s senior leadership now has direct professional roots in Umeme.
The acting managing director comes from Umeme
Leading the transition at UEDCL is Rwakakooko, who was recently appointed acting managing director.
Before joining UEDCL, Rwakakooko built her career at Umeme, where she held influential operational positions, including customer service engineering manager and head of network operations.
Her professional profile describes her as an experienced electrical engineer with expertise in electricity distribution, revenue optimisation, loss reduction, and utility operations.
Former Umeme executives now at the Helm
Among the most notable appointments is Sylver Hategekimana, who was named acting chief engineering & technical services officer.
Professional records reviewed by CEO East Africa Magazine indicate that Hategekimana previously served as head of network assets development at Umeme, where he was involved in electricity network expansion, infrastructure upgrades, and technical asset management.
Another key appointment is Isaac Katewanga, who was named acting chief commercial officer. Before joining UEDCL, Katewanga served at Umeme as head of sustainability and ESG and earlier as head of regional operations.
His background includes oversight of sustainability reporting, commercial operations, and regional distribution management.
Samuel Omoding, appointed acting head of human resources and administration, also previously served at Umeme.
Before joining UEDCL, he was a manager HR projects and change and earlier worked as HR business partner supporting Umeme’s technical and engineering departments.
In the communications docket, Stephen Ilungole was appointed acting head of corporate and stakeholder affairs after serving as Umeme’s manager PR and media relations.
The reshuffle also elevated Nickson Ahabwe to acting head internal audit.
Ahabwe previously held positions at Umeme, including risk and business continuity manager and risk advisor, overseeing enterprise risk management frameworks and governance systems.
In the ICT division, Richard Opiyo was appointed acting head of technology and applications.
Before joining UEDCL, Opiyo worked as an SAP materials management consultant at Umeme and previously held technology management positions at Sameer Africa Limited and Mukwano Industries.
Meanwhile, Francis Ddamulira was named acting manager, applications officer.
Ddamulira previously served at Umeme in roles including financial and reporting analyst, senior data analyst, and business intelligence manager.
The acting appointments also included Christine Atuhaire, who was named acting manager HR officer – business partners at UEDCL.
Data reviewed by CEO East Africa Magazine indicates that Atuhaire also served at Umeme before the transition to UEDCL, although the specific roles she held at the former concessionaire had not independently been confirmed by press time.
Strategic transition or institutional recycling?
The reshuffle appears to reflect a strategic boardroom decision to retain experienced personnel already familiar with Uganda’s electricity distribution systems, network operations, and commercial structures in order to ensure continuity during the transition.
However, the growing concentration of former Umeme executives within UEDCL’s top ranks could reignite broader questions about institutional reform, independence, and whether Uganda’s electricity distribution sector is witnessing genuine transformation, or simply a change in corporate branding.
Background
On May 2, the Ministry of Energy announced that government had undertaken a review of management and governance structures at UEDCL.
In a press release signed by Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, the ministry revealed that the chairperson of the board had been relieved of their duties, while Managing Director Paul Mwesigwa was placed on forced leave to pave the way for what officials described as a comprehensive governance review.
Government subsequently appointed Ms Stella-Marie Biwaga Cingtho as interim board chairperson to oversee the transition process and maintain operational stability at the utility company.
The ministry noted that the measures were part of routine governance and oversight procedures aimed at strengthening accountability, institutional performance, and service delivery within the energy sector.
On the same day, UEDCL’s board announced the appointment of Rwakakooko as acting managing director effective May 2, 2026.
The board noted that Rwakakooko would use her more than two decades of experience in electricity distribution, commercial operations, and utility management to transform the operations of UEDCL.
