As Uganda Electricity Distribution Company (UEDCL) formally takes over the power distribution function, it will be months or even years before Ugandans move on from the days of Umeme.
Yes, it will be long, or it might never happen again for Umeme to be part of Uganda’s electricity sub-sector, for which it had been part of for at least 20 years.
In 2022, government decided not to renew Umeme’s concession at the natural end of the 20-year agreement under which the power distributor managed assets leased from UEDCL.
Thus, the assets on Monday, formally reverted to UEDCL, which has over the last two years seen a lot of activity including putting together a staff roll of 2,712 in just under three months.
A staff structure, distributed across 11 departments, will be key in the operations of UEDCL as it takes on the functions formerly managed by Umeme.
Thus, as UEDCL begins this journey, we take a deeper dive into who is who in the affairs of running one of government’s entities that will be among the most watched in the days to come.
Mr Paul Mwesigwa – managing director
In July 2019, Mr Mwesigwa was appointed UEDCL chief executive officer. He has been a key figure and has been instrumental in the reorganization of the entity that takes over the power distribution function from Umeme.
He has more than two decades of experience, of which. 18 years have been in the electricity distribution sub-sector, in which he has served in different management positions including financial controller, chief internal auditor and risk management.
Until July 2019, he had been UEDCL’s chief finance officer.
He holds a bachelors in Economics from Makerere University and he is a fellow of the Chartered Certified Accountants of the United Kingdom.
He is also a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda, and also holds a Masters of Business Administration from Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom.
Ms Jacqueline Kiwanuka – chief financial officer
She is a certified accountant with more than 20 years of experience in directing finance functions particularly in financial reporting and management.
She has a strong bias in strategic planning and budgeting and is a uniquely structured leader and communicator.
She has previously worked with Action Aid, where she began her career as an account assistant in 2001, before rising through the ranks to become the finance and administration officer.
In 2006, she moved to National Housing & Construction Company as a finance officer and later manager, where she worked until 2013, before switching to Uganda Clays, first as acting manager and later head of finance until 2021.
In September 2022, she was appointed UEDCL chief finance officer, a position she holds to data.
She holds key license and certifications including, senior management development programme from Strathmore Business School, member of the Institute of Certified Accountants of Uganda, Fellow of ACCA, CFO Leadership Academy Certificate from MAT Abacus Business School.
She also holds an ACCA Certificate from Zenith Business College, in Organisational Leadership from MAT Abacus Business School, and a bachelor of Business Administration (Business Administration and Management).
Mr Nelson Bagenda – chief information and technology officer
He holds a master of science in Computing from Birmingham University (Oracle University).
He joined Umeme in July 2010, before which he had worked for British Telcom and Virgin Media.
At Umeme he has been working in the IT service delivery unit, where he has led several IT transformational projects.
He is a results-driven and transformational IT professional with a proven record of success in global operations across multiple industries including utility services, software engineering, telecommunications and broadband.
Ms Joselyne Rwabogo – chief commercial and operations officer
Before joining UEDCL, she had been working in Umeme, where she has accumulated wide experience in customer service management.
Her LinkedIn profile indicates that she has previously served in several roles including, customer service engineering manager and head of network operations.
Ms Esther Naikoba Mulyagonja – company secretary
She is a utility legal practitioner. She holds a masters of Laws from Makerere University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre.
She is also a certified public- private partnerships practitioner.
Eng Protaze Tibyakinura – chief engineering and technical services
He holds a masters in Management Science – Project Planning and Management, a post graduate diploma in project planning and management and a bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.
He is an accomplished engineer with more than two decades of experience in the electricity sub sector.
He has previously worked with Uganda Electricity Board, before it was dismantled in 2000, but later joined UEDCL, before moving to Umeme at commencement of a 20-concession in March 2005.
At Umeme, he raised through the ranks to become regional technical services officer, but rejoined UEDCL in 2006, where he has stayed to date.
I&M Select Banking Sapphire Club wins “Best Innovation of the Year” at UMEAS 2025He has trained in a number of professions including root cause analysis techniques, task analysis, and assessment procedures, safety, stores management and material control, strategic planning and performance management.
He has also trained in strategic management and corporate governance and quality management systems, among others.
Mr Moses Awateh – chief logistics and production officer
He is a trained and certified logistician from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, UK. He holds a master in Logistics, and a bachelor in Commerce.
He has previously worked in accounts, logistics and management, attaining a wealth experience from public, private, and the NGO world.
He championed the establishment of the new Pole Plant at Kyampisi and at the Pole Plant in Lugogo, he has been involved in managing a team of professionals from quality assurance, production, finance, stores, marketing, IT and procurement.
Ms Justine Nakagiri Ssemwanga- head internal audit
She is the UEDCL acting head of internal audit, with more than 10 years of experience, eight of which, she has been practicing internal audit.
She has previously worked with Uganda Telecom and AH Consulting, where she served in different capacities including internal audit manager, internal audit supervisor, financial and audit systems consultant.
She holds a post graduate diploma in Information Technology from Amity University India, in collaboration with Makerere University and a bachelor of Business Administration – Accounting from Makerere University.
She is a certified internal auditor, and is currently pursuing and ACCA certification. She is a member on the training committee of the Institute of Internal Auditors and has previously served as a member on membership committee of Institute of Internal Auditors Uganda and as Secretary of the Supervisory Committee of Umeme Staff SACCO.
Eng Isaac Serwadda – head projects and construction
He is a registered and licensed electrical engineer and a member of the Uganda Institute of Professional Engineers.
He holds a bachelor of science in Electrical Engineering from Makerere University and various certification in the project management and engineering.
He has been in the electricity subsector for close to 16 years with vast experience in power generation, power plant designs and commissioning, operations management and project implementation.
He holds a number of management and leadership certificates in management and CEO apprenticeship from Strathmore Business school.
He has previously worked with Umeme and Eskom Uganda, first as a systems engineer and later as a project coordinator in charge of restoration and refurbishment of Owen Falls Dam from 2003 to 2006.
At Umeme, he raised through the ranks to head of the capital projects department overseeing capital projects implementation.
He is a professional accountant with a passion for commercial strategy, corporate financial planning and control, risk management and assurance.
Mr Boniface Barongo – head human resource and administration
He has worked at UEDCL for over 10 years, first as head of administration and estates and head of human resource and administration since 2015.
He has a wealth of experience in the public, private and NGO job market, having previously worked as head of logistics at Handicap International, a French NGO, head of administration at New Vision Group and supervisor human resource and administration at Kinyara Sugar Works.
He holds professional certificates in labour law training from Fachs Business Training Consulting, Johannesburg, South Africa and corporate security management from Divine Heights Consultancy, Nairobi, Kenya.
He also holds a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) human resources management and public procurement from Uganda Management Institute, bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) finance and financial management services from Makerere University and a diploma in Human Resource Management from ICS, UK Core.
He is a member of HR management professional Bill 2016 – Technical Committee, Human Resource Managers Association.
Mr Jonan Kiiza – head corporate and stakeholder affairs
He has been the UEDCL head of corporate affairs since September 2019. He is a highly experienced media professional and lecturer at Cavendish University and Royal Media Uganda.
Between October 2019 and September 2017, he served as a public relations and media officer at UEDCL, before he was promoted to senior corporate affairs officer.
He holds a masters of Journalism and Media Studies Multimedia and Investigative Journalism from Uganda Christian University and a bachelor of Mass Communication and Media Studies from Cavendish University Uganda.
Mr Isaac Mufumbiro – head strategy, compliance and regulation
He joins UEDCL from Umeme where he has been working since 2010. He is a professional accountant with a bias in commercial strategy, corporate financial planning and control, risk management and assurance.
At Umeme, he has served in different capacities including pricing specialist, manager economic regulation, regulatory financial controller, tariff and regulation manager, acting head of internal audit and risk management, business model, lead and audit supervisor.
He is a certified public accountant with an ACCA Finance certification, which he attained in 2009 as the third best performing student in Uganda.
He has been recognized with a number of awards including special recognition for outstanding contribution to Umeme for recovering $33 million in revenue, recognized by the World Bank for his contribution in a doing business study for Uganda and awarded an ACCA Bronze medal by MAT Uganda for being the third best performing student in ACCA qualification and examinations.
