Ms Lynda Biribonwa, an environment, health, and safety specialist, has been appointed Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), succeeding Ms Jane N. Mulemwa (PhD), whose second and final four-year term ended in May 2024.
Following their successful vetting and approval by the Parliamentary Appointment Committee, led by the Speaker of Parliament in June 2024, President Yoweri Museveni appointed Ms Biribonwa as the new Chairperson and six others as Members of the PAU Board on June 18th, 2024, in accordance with Section 17 (2) of the Petroleum (Exploration, Development, and Production) Act, 2021.
Ms Biribonwa, a certified Lead Environmental Management Systems Auditor with over twenty-three years of experience in environment, health, and safety at strategic, policy, compliance, and practitioner levels, brings her environmental engineering and finance expertise to the Board. She holds an MBA in Oil and Gas from CWS School of Energy, London, UK; an MSc in Environment and Development from the University of Reading, UK; and a BA (Hons) in Environmental Management and Business Administration from Keele University, Staffordshire, UK.
Before her appointment, Ms Biribonwa served on the previous Board as the head of the Governance, Board, and Audit Committee. This committee develops and recommends policies and procedures to ensure sound governance practices are in place and guides the Board in fulfilling its oversight role.
Others appointed to the new Board include Mr Bernard Ongodia, a Geophysicist with over twenty years of experience in Petroleum Exploration, Development, and Production, who currently serves as the Principal of Uganda Petroleum Institute, Kigumba (UPIK); Mr Adrian Bukenya, the Country Director for the Mastercard Foundation in Uganda, with over twenty years of global professional experience in the energy, infrastructure, and financial services sectors; and Mr. Innocent Kihika, an Energy Lawyer with over twenty-five years of experience in Energy, Mining, and Infrastructure Law. The trio previously served on the Board and will be serving their second term as members.
The new entrants to the seven-member Board include Ms Oduka Ochan Achan, a finance specialist with over forty-two years of experience in financial planning, marketing, strategic planning, program/project design management, institutional and organisational development, communication, and banking; Ms Solome Galiwango, a seasoned professional with over twenty years of experience, ten of which are in the energy sector. She is a member of the Association of Energy Engineers and the Energy Efficiency Association of Uganda; and Prof. Vincent Bagire, a management specialist with over twenty-seven years of teaching experience in strategic management. Prof. Bagire is the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at Makerere University Business School.
Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, will inaugurate and hand over instruments of power to the new Board on July 19th, 2024, at Amber House, Kampala. The new Board takes over when the industry is experiencing a ramp-up in activities during the development phase and will be expected to steer the Regulatory Authority in its mandate of monitoring and regulating the oil and gas sector to create lasting value for Uganda.
Profiles of the Board of Directors
- Ms Lynda Biribonwa, Chairperson
Ms Biribonwa is an environment, health, safety specialist, who is a certified ISO 9000 Internal Quality Management System Auditor as well as ISO 40001 certified Lead Environmental Management Systems Auditor, with over twenty-three (23) years’ experience in Environment, Health, and Safety at strategic, policy, compliance, and practitioner level.
Ms Biribonwa brings experience in environmental engineering and finance to the Board. She holds an MBA in Oil and Gas from CWS School of Energy, London UK, a MSc in Environment and Development from the University of Reading, UK and a BA (Hons) in Environmental Management and Business Administration from Keele University, Staffordshire, UK.
During her tenure at the second Board, Ms. Biribonwa headed the Governance, Board and Audit Committee. This committee develops and recommends policies and procedures to ensure sound governance policies and practices are in place and assists the board in fulfilling its oversight role. It also provides a structured reporting line for the internal audit function of the Authority.
- Mr Bernard Ongodia, Member
Mr Bernard Ongodia is a Geophysicist with over twenty (20) years’ experience in Petroleum Exploration, Development and Production. He served as a Senior and Principal Geophysicist in MEMD. He was also the Head of the National Content Unit in the Directorate of Petroleum (DoP), Project Coordinator Skills for Oil and Gas (SOGA) Project, and Pillar Manager for Phase-II, Oil for Development, a Norwegian supported project.
He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree (BSc.) majoring in Physics from MUK, Kampala (1996), Master of Science Degree in Exploration Geophysics from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom (2005) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA), Oil and Gas Management from Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, United Kingdom (2015). He also holds various diplomas and certificates in; management, electrical engineering, environment, and petroleum geoscience obtained from the various reputable institutions in the world.
He is currently the Principal of Uganda Petroleum Institute, Kigumba (UPIK), an internationally accredited curricular, centre approved for City & Guilds, Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB), and Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organisation (OPITO). He is also the chairperson of the Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Uganda (OGATAU).
During his tenure on the second Board, Mr Ongodia headed the Finance and Human Resource Committee. The committee develops and reviews policies relating to financial and human resource management, monitors and oversees the efficient use of the Authority’s resources and reviews the Authority’s human resource strategic plan to ensure congruence with the Authority’s broader strategic plan and vision.
- Mr Adrian Bukenya
Mr Bukenya has over twenty (20) years of global professional experience in the energy, infrastructure, and financial services sectors. Sixteen (16) of these were spent in operations across Africa in senior leadership roles. Adrian has a wide range of experience including business development, government relations, regulatory affairs, organisational transformation, stakeholder engagement, and people growth and development. Mr Bukenya is a motivated self-starter and keen on developing business strategies through effective leadership to deliver sustainable value for all stakeholders.
Mr Bukenya holds an MBA IN Finance and Economics from the University of Oxford and a B.Sc. Chemical Engineering from Drexel University in USA.
He is the Country Director for the Mastercard Foundation in Uganda. Prior to this, he served as Uganda Country Manager for Baker Hughes providing advisory to the Baker Hughes & General Electric businesses with respect to the legal and regulatory frameworks. He has also held leadership roles in Tullow Uganda Operations Pty Limited (TUOP), Shell Uganda and the Black and Decker Corporation.
During his tenure on the second Board, Mr Bukenya served on the Governance, Board and Audit, Technical and Risk and the Finance and Human Resource Committees of the Board.
- Mr Innocent Kihika
Mr Kihika is an Energy Lawyer with over twenty-five (25) years’ experience in Energy, Mining, and Infrastructure Law. He is a member of the Uganda Law Society (ULS) and East Africa Law Society (EALS).
He holds a Bachelor of Law from MUK, a Diploma in Legal Practice from Law Development Centre, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Telecommunication and Information Technology Law- University of Strathclyde- Scotland.
Mr Kihika is a Partner at Shonubi Musoke & Co Advocates and during the tenure of the second Board, he was a member of the Governance Board and Audit and Finance and Human Resource Committees of the Board.
- Oduka Ochan Achan Mary
Ms Oduka Ochan Achan is a finance specialist with over forty- two (42) years’ experience in financial planning, Marketing, Strategic planning and programme/project design Management, institutional and organisation development, communication, and Banking.
Ms Oduka holds a Master of Development Studies from the University College Dublin and a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) Degree from Makerere University.
Ms Oduka was the founder Secretary that established the Uganda Women’s Finance and Credit trust that transformed into the first women’s bank in Uganda- Finance Trust Bank, served as the Irish Aid Programme Countries Senior HIV & AIDS specialist for East, Central and Southern Africa, Senior Adviser and Head of the Social Service Delivery Cluster for Irish Aid Uganda, Country Director for the Agency for Personal Service Overseas (Irish Aid Development Agency) and Executive Director Africa Development Assistance.
Ms Oduka has served on several Boards key among which include E-Capital Ltd investment group, Finance Trust Bank, ActionAid International Uganda and the HIV/AIDS Development Partners Group in Uganda
- Ms Solome Galiwango
Ms Solome Galiwango, a seasoned professional with over twenty (20) years’ experience, ten (10) of which are in the Energy Sector. She is a member of the Association of Energy Engineers and the Energy Efficiency Association of Uganda.
Ms Galiwango holds an MSc. in Sustainable Energy Technology from the Netherlands and a Bachelor of Science in Chemical and Process Engineering from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Ms Galiwango served as the Uganda Country Manager for Green Powered Techology LLC, was Uganda Project Coordinator for German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Technical Officer – Energy Efficiency.
- Professor Vicent Bagire
Prof. Vicent Bagire, a Management Specialist with over twenty-seven (27) years’ teaching experience in Strategic Management.
Prof. Bagire holds a PhD in Strategic Management from the University of Nairobi, a Master of Business Administration from Makerere University, a Bachelor of Business Administration and Management from Uganda Martyrs University and a Higher National Diploma in Marketing from the National College of Business Studies, Nakawa.
Prof. Bagire is the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. Prior to that he was the Program Officer, Uganda Catholic Secretariat. He was the Presiding Officer at the Public hearings for the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and the Program Manager for the Pope’s visit to Uganda.
Prof. Bagire has held several governance roles, including vice chairman of the Governing Council of Uganda Martyrs University, Member of the Governance Council of Catholic University of East Africa, Director and Board Secretary of HOFOKAM, Member of the Board Committee of Business Development of Joint Medical Stores, and Board Member of the Hoima Diocese Caritas Development Organisation (HOCADEO).