A new Board of Directors that will steer the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU) for the next four (4) years has been inaugurated.
The new Board was inaugurated by Dr. Mary Goretti Kitutu Kimono, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development at Amber House on Friday, May 15th, 2020.
This is the second Board of Directors for the Petroleum Authority of Uganda. The inaugural Board took office on 4th October 2015 and its tenure expired on 3rd October 2019. The new Board was appointed by the President and approved by Parliament as provided for under the Petroleum Act, 2013.
The Act provides that the Petroleum Authority of Uganda will have a Board of Seven (7) members and that, at least three (3) members of the Board shall be women.
Dr. Jane N. Mulemwa, who served on the first inaugural Board retained her position as Board Chairperson. The other Board members retained include; Ms. Doreen Kabasindi Wandera and Mr. Kiryowa Kiwanuka.
The new Board members that complete the seven (7)-member board are; Mr. Bernard Ongodia, who is the Principal of the Uganda Petroleum Institute Kigumba (UPIK), Dr. Kevin Aanyu, a lecturer in the department of Geology and Petroleum studies at Makerere University, Dr. Noble Ephraim Banadda a Chemical Engineer, and Ms. Lynda Biribonwa an Environment, Health, Safety and Quality Management professional.
In her inaugural speech, the Minister tasked the new Board to steer the sector to ensure the Final Investment Decision (FID) is achieved.
“You are coming on board at a critical time when the Ministry and the Authority are steering the Upstream and Midstream sector towards FID. It is also critical for the Authority to look beyond FID and adequately prepare for how the sector will operate post this milestone.
You are therefore encouraged to ensure the right systems, processes and people are in place to steer the petroleum subsector forward,” the Minister said.
Mr. Robert Kasande, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, revealed that the new Board of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda had been approved as per the requirements of the law. The law provides that the Board should have proven experience in any of the following disciplines: – Petroleum Geosciences or Engineering; Health, Safety and Environment matters; Law; Business Administration or Management; Finance or Economics; or, Chemical and process or Refinery Engineering.
The inaugural Board submitted the end of term report highlighting, among others, the achievements made, and challenges faced. While passing her vote of thanks to the appointing Authority, Dr. Jane Mulemwa commended the president for having followed the recommendation of the pioneer Board to maintain an institutional memory and continuity when appointing the new Board.
“The composition of the new Board clearly shows that the president followed our recommendation and consequently we have three (3) old members Mr. Kiryowa Kiwanuka, Ms. Doreen Kabasindi and myself being reappointed alongside four (4) new members,” she noted.
She further noted that the new governing Board of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda comes into office at a time that the country is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic and on the verge of taking the FID, a decision that is bound to unlock a flurry of simultaneous activities.
“As a new Board, we commit to work with integrity and build on the achievements of the pioneer Board, steer the Authority through this COVID-19 Pandemic, ensure that Ugandans have optimal participation and ensure that the petroleum resources contribute to the early eradication of poverty and create everlasting value to society,” she stressed.
Profiles of the New Board Members
i) DR. JANE N. MULEMWA (CHAIRPERSON)
Dr. Jane Nambakire Mulemwa is a qualified and experienced scientist who holds a Ph.D. in Physical Organic Chemistry, from Queen’s University of Belfast, Northern Ireland. She has over thirty (30) years’ experience in leadership, administration, policy development and analysis, strategy formulation and evaluation, science education and academic research. She possesses extensive experience in leading varied organisations through periods of initiation, transition and growth, such as, the Department of Science and Technical Education, Makerere University, the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), Uganda Chapter, and, The AIDS Support Organization (TASO). She serves on the Board of Directors of several organisations and was the Deputy Chairperson of the Education Service Commission, Uganda, between 1998 and 2015. Dr. Mulemwa was the Chairperson of the inaugural Board of the PAU.
ii) MR. BERNARD ONGODIA
Mr. Bernard Ongodia who is the Principal of UPIK holds a Master of Science Degree in Petroleum Exploration Geophysics from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom, a Master of Business Administration in Oil and Gas Management from Robert Gordon University in the United Kingdom a Bachelor of Science (Hons) Degree in Geophysics from Makerere University, a Diploma in Electrical Engineering from Uganda Technical Institute and several oil and gas management certificates.
Mr. Ongodia was a Senior Geophysicist at the Petroleum Exploration and Production Department in the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development where he worked from 2002 up to 2017 when he was appointed Principal of UPIK. Mr. Ongodia has wide knowledge and experience in capacity building and manpower development in the oil and gas industry, an asset that will be exploited by the Authority.
iii) MRS. DOREEN KABASINDI WANDERA
Mrs. Doreen Kabasindi Wandera is an experienced natural resource and environmental scientist who holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Botany and Zoology and a Master of Science degree in Agriculture from Makerere University; a Master of Public Health leadership from Uganda Christian University, Mukono and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management and Public Administration from Uganda Management Institute.
Mrs. Kabasindi Wandera is a lead Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environment Auditing and Monitoring Specialist. She is very knowledgeable in land use planning and agriculture, waste management and public health leadership; and has been in practice in the environment sector for twenty eight (28) years.
She is currently the Chairperson of African Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation (ANEW); Member of the Monitoring and Evaluation task Team of the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW); Member of the National Advisory Committee- International Hydrological Program-IHP/ United Nations Educational and Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and has vast experience in project management, executive leadership and corporate governance with local Governments, Central Governments Agencies and Civil Society Organisations. Mrs. Kabasindi Wandera was a member of the inaugural Board of the PAU.
iv) DR. KEVIN AANYU
Dr. Kevin Aanyu (holds a PhD in Geosciences from Johannes-Gutenberg University in Germany, a MSc in Structural Geology from Makerere University Kampala and a BSc from Makerere University. Dr. Aanyu’s work experience spans sixteen (16 ) years where she is a lecturer in the department of Geology and Petroleum studies at Makerere University. She was a Geologist in the Department of Geological survey and mines in the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development between 2002 and 2004. She has published several academic publications related to Geology.
v) MR. KIRYOWA KIWANUKA
Mr. Kiryowa Kiwanuka holds a Masters in Petroleum Law and Policy from the University of Dundee, Scotland, Bachelor of Laws (Hons) degree from Makerere University, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre.
He has been in private practice as a Partner of a Law Firm for eighteen (18) years and has gained insight in the oil and gas sector through the position of legal services to licensed oil companies and service providers.
Mr. Kiwanuka is an advocate of the High court of Uganda, with over twenty (20) years’ experience in commercial law, labor law and energy law, currently focusing on oil and gas. He is a member of the Uganda Law Society, East African Law Society and the International Bar Association.
He is the past President of Uganda Golf Union and a member of Entebbe Club, Uganda Golf Club, Kampala Golf Club and Jinja Golf Club. Mr. Kiryowa Kiwanuka is the current Chairperson of Express Football Club. Mr. Kiryowa was a member of the inaugural Board of the PAU.
vi) DR. EPHRAIM BANADDA
Dr. Noble Ephraim Banadda holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium; a Master of Science in Processing Engineering from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium; and Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Technology from the University of Agriculture, Tanzania and is a member of the Belgian Institute of Engineers.
Dr. Banadda is an adjunct professor at Iowa State University in the United States of America, Extra-Ordinary Professor at Wageningen University, Netherlands, a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom and a professor at Makerere University.
He is currently a Board Member, of African Agricultural Technology Foundation, and has been Country Director for African Institute for Capacity Development (AICAD) since October 2014. Dr. Banadda was also the representative for Uganda and Vice Chair of the Consultative Council, Implementation of the Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation in Islamic Countries (ISESCO) Rabat, Morocco between 2016 and 2017.
vii) MS. LYNDA BIRIBONWA
Ms. Lynda Biribonwa is an Environment, Health, Safety and Quality Management professional with over twenty-two (22) years of experience in environmental work having previously worked with Tullow Oil and the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), among others. She possesses an MBA Oil and Gas from CWC School of Energy London, a MSc in Environment and Development from University of Reading and a BA (Hons) Environment Management and Business Administration from Kell University. Ms. Biribonwa is also a certified IS0 9000 Internal Quality Management System Auditor as well as ISO 40001 certified Lead Environmental Management Systems Auditor