Umeme appoints Bigirimana, retires Zimbe

Mr Pius Bigirimana. FILE PHOTO

What you need to know:

  • Power distributor, Umeme has retired Mr Sam Zimbe, the current deputy managing director and appointed three non-executive directors.
  • Those appointed include Mr Pius Bigirimana, the Gender Ministry permanent secretary, Stephen Emasu, an accountant and chairperson of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Global Public Sector Forum and Riccardo Ridolf, a lawyer and founder of Equatorial Power.
  • However, in a telephone interview yesterday, Mr Bigirimana, who said he was out of the country, told Daily Monitor he was not aware of the appointment.
  • However, he welcomed the appointment, saying it comes with serious challenges, especially after the President castigated Umeme for exaggerating investments and failing to eliminate technical losses.

Power distributor, Umeme has retired Mr Sam Zimbe, the current deputy managing director and appointed three non-executive directors.
Those appointed include Mr Pius Bigirimana, the Gender Ministry permanent secretary, Stephen Emasu, an accountant and chairperson of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Global Public Sector Forum and Riccardo Ridolf, a lawyer and founder of Equatorial Power.

However, in a telephone interview yesterday, Mr Bigirimana, who said he was out of the country, told Daily Monitor he was not aware of the appointment.
“What are you talking about? I am out of the country. I am not aware,” he said, adding: “I guess they [Umeme] want to use my experience in corporate governance.”

However, he welcomed the appointment, saying it comes with serious challenges, especially after the President castigated Umeme for exaggerating investments and failing to eliminate technical losses.
In a February letter to the Minister of Energy, President Museveni wondered why Umeme had failed to eliminate technical losses that stand at 9.9 per cent.

This came years after Parliament’s Ad hoc Committee on Energy, which was chaired by Jacob Oboth, recommended the termination of concessions to Umeme and Eskom to distribute and generate electricity respectively.
The ‘Oboth Committee’ said the Attorney General’s Chambers was reduced to a spectator in the preparation of the concession agreements.

Mr Sandor Walusimbi, the Umeme head of communication and marketing, confirmed the appointments, adding that the public would be informed of when it plans to replace Mr Zimbe.
In a notice yesterday, the company said Mr Zimbe, who was appointed an executive director to the board on November 26, 2014, had been retired after attaining the mandatory retirement age.

Mr Zimbe, whose retirement will take effect on May 1, has served Umeme since inception about 14 years ago and is currently the company’s deputy managing director, a position he assumed in 2015.
Before then, he had served as the general manager: corporate and regulatory affairs, before serving as the manager of Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited for two years following the unbundling of the electricity sector.