Who Is Sarah Bateta Okwi, MTN MoMo Uganda’s Acting CEO? Sarah Bateta Okwi steps in as Acting CEO of MTN MoMo Uganda, bringing deep finance, governance, and compliance experience as the fintech enters a critical transition phase.

Following the resignation of Richard Yego, Sarah Bateta Okwi has been appointed as Acting Chief Executive Officer of MTN Mobile Money Uganda Ltd (MTN MoMo), stepping into the role at a defining moment for the fintech business.

CEO East Africa Magazine digs into who she is, her track record inside the MTN Group, and why her appointment matters now.

Okwi takes the reins as MTN MoMo navigates a period of leadership transition alongside a broader corporate inflection point, including the expected separation of the mobile money business from its parent, MTN Uganda Ltd.

The timing places heightened emphasis on governance continuity, regulatory confidence, and execution discipline.

A finance chief turned interim CEO

Before her appointment, Okwi served as Chief Financial Officer of MTN Mobile Money Uganda, a role she has held since May 2022.

As CFO, she has been responsible for financial accounting, planning, reporting, risk management, governance, and regulatory compliance—core pillars for a regulated mobile money operator.

Her elevation signals a continuity-first, finance-led interim strategy as the business balances operational stability with structural change.

Deep MTN institutional experience

Okwi brings nearly two decades of experience within the MTN ecosystem, spanning both Uganda and Rwanda.

Prior to joining MTN MoMo, she spent close to nine years at MTN Uganda, most recently as Senior Manager, Finance Operations, overseeing financial statement consolidation, regulatory reporting, working-capital management, and internal controls.

Earlier, she also led a controls documentation initiative, strengthening accounting and finance processes across the organisation.

Her regional depth includes senior roles at MTN Rwanda, where she served as Senior Manager, Financial Operationsand earlier as an Accountant, leading audits, treasury, payables, receivables, inventory management, and budgeting in line with IFRS and group accounting standards.

Beyond telecoms: a controls-and-compliance pedigree

Outside MTN, Okwi built a strong foundation in donor-funded and grants finance, having worked with Deloitte Consulting and JSI Research & Training Inc (UPHOLD).

In these roles, she managed multi-donor and USAID-funded programmes, coordinated grant disbursements, and enforced strict accountability frameworks—experience that translates directly into today’s fintech risk, compliance, and governance demands.

Qualifications and governance exposure

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from Makerere University and is professionally qualified as an FCCA and CPA(U).

Okwi also serves as a board director, giving her hands-on exposure to corporate governance, fiduciary oversight, and board-level decision-making.

Why her appointment matters now

Okwi’s appointment comes as MTN MoMo approaches a phase that will require standalone governance, balance-sheet clarity, and intensified regulatory engagement, even as competition across payments, merchant services, and adjacent fintech offerings accelerates.

Her profile points to a stabilising interim tenure—focused on safeguarding regulatory confidence, ensuring operational continuity, and preparing the institution for its next phase of growth and leadership.

Whether her role remains transitional or evolves further, Sarah Bateta Okwi now sits at the centre of one of Uganda’s most consequential fintech transitions.