New board to restructure UIA

Kampala. The Finance Ministry has appointed a new board at Uganda Investment Authority to spearhead a number of priorities.

The new board, according to Finance and Investment State Minister Evelyn Anite, will prioritise a restructuring process that seeks to realign UIA with the current demands.
Ms Anite at the weekend told Daily Monitor the seven-member board will be required to reorganise UIA, a key aspect in attracting investment opportunities.

“They have to restructure UIA. Some people have stayed there for years,” she said, adding some workers have been at UIA since it started in 1991.
Such people, she said, might lack fresh ideas, thus demanding that the “new board brings in fresh blood and energy, given that “issues of investment keep on changing”.

Entire board sacked
In a February 6 letter, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija, sacked the entire UIA board, noting the new Investment Code had made the 13-member board obsolete. The new Investment Code reduces the number of board members from 13 to seven.

The Ministry of Finance had suggested that the board be composed of nine members but Parliament reduced it to seven.
The reforms, according to Ms Anite, were premised on the need to allow quick decision making, which has for long affected UIA.

The seven member board returned Mr Emely Kugonza as the chairperson on a three-year contract.
Other members include Mr Morrison Rwakakamba, Mr Fred Opolot, Mr Naima Obombasa, Ms Getrude Lutaaya and Mr Godfrey Byamukama.

The Trade Ministry is yet to nominate its member.
The old board was composed of Ms Olive Kigongo, Mr Moses Kaggwa, Mr Fred Ogene, Ms Mary Katarikawe, Ms Shifa Ndagire Kaddu, Mr Godfrey Sasagah, Prof George Pikwang, Mr Ramadhan Bukoma and Ms Betty Adima, all of whom were not returned.

UIA has been dogged by controversy ever since the departure of Ms Maggie Kigozi in 2011.
The controversies have not only affected UIA’s performance but have stalled projects such as Kampala Industrial Business Park also known as Namanve Industrial Park.

Key among the priorities, Ms Anite told Daily Monitor, will be plotting the 2,200-acre Namanve Industrial Park to ensure accountability in land allocation and utilisation.
Other priorities will be onboarding a loan for the development of Namanve Industrial Park and completing the electronic one-stop center, which seeks to reduce interpersonal contact and corruption.

Ms Anite said it was time to put to rest the current problems at UIA, many of which have been a result of poor management.
Last year UIA sacked Ms Jolly Kaguhangire, who among others, was accused of mismanaging a restructuring process, which had by the time at least sent home five directors.

She was replaced by Mr Basir Ajer, who after four months in acting capacity, quit the agency. He left in January ahead of his April notice.
Currently, Mr Lawrence Byensi is the acting executive director. However, in the new Investment Code the position of executive director will change to director general.

Board composition

Appointed
Mr Emely Kugonza - Chairperson
Mr Morrison Rwakakamba - Member
Mr Fred Opolot - Member
Mr Naima Obombasa - Member
Ms Getrude Lutaaya - Member
Mr Godfrey Byamukama - Member
Trade Ministry - yet to nominate
Terminated
Ms Olive Kigongo - Member
Mr Moses Kaggwa - Member
Mr Fred Ogene - Member
Ms Mary Katarikawe - Member
Ms Shifa Ndagire Kaddu - Member
Mr Godfrey Sasagah - Member
Prof George Pikwang - Member
Mr Ramadhan Bukoma - Member
Ms Betty Adima - Member

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