By Deep Earth
In-coming Chairman: Patrick Mweheire
Outgoing Chairman: Dr Elly Karuhanga
Seasoned banker, Patrick Mweheire, is the new chairman of the governing council of the Uganda Chamber of Mines and Petroleum (UCMP), replacing Dr Elly Karuhanga, who had served in the position since the Chamber’s inception in 2010.
Mweheire, who is currently the East Africa regional CEO of Standard Bank Group, has since June 30, 2017 been serving as Karuhanga’s second-in-command at the UCMP.
He will be deputized by Mariam Nampeera Mbowa, the Deputy General Manager, TotalEnergies E&P Uganda. Pamela Natamba, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers is the new treasurer, while Aggrey Ashaba, the GM GCC Services is the new general secretary.
Other members on the Governing Council are Chen Zuobiao President, CNOOC Uganda, Proscovia Nabbanja, the CEO Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), Dr. Jennifer Hinton, Country Head, Jervois Mining and Nicholas Ecimu, a partner at Sebalu & Lule Advocates. Abdul Kibuuka, Executive Director, TrueNorth Africa, Paul Kavuma, CEO, Uganda Insurers Association (UIA) and Gibson Edward Nangono the Head, Large Local and Regional Corporates, Absa Bank complete the list.
“I am grateful to the UCMP members for this appointment. I hope we have key deliverables and clear objectives to achieve over the next 12 months at a critical time in Uganda’s journey towards First Oil,” said Mweheire.
The new Governing Council was appointed during the UCMP’s 11th annual general meeting (AGM) last month and will serve a one year transitional period, as the organization seeks to restructure.
Among the proposed changes, is the dropping of the UCMP governing council’s advisory board and replacing it with sector council members who will represent each sector’s interests at the council level. These sectors include: Oil and Gas Exploration and Production, Energy, Mining and Mineral Development, Labour Skilling and Entrepreneurship, Logistics and Transport, Hospitality and Tourism, Quality, Health, Safety and Environment, Engineering and Construction, Finance, Insurance, Legal and Compliance and Manufacturing, Media and Communications.
In the one year transitional period, Mweihire’s team will also look at changing the composition of the Board of Trustees from 5 to 7 members plus setting the new UCMP Strategy in motion.
Dr. Karuhanga, Jeff Baitwa and Sam Thakkar who have been serving as chairman, treasurer and general secretary respectively, were appointed as members of the UCMP Board of Trustees (BoT) at the same AGM. The BoT is still headed by Richard Kaijuka.
The UCMP is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization that represents the interests of private players in the mining and petroleum sectors in Uganda by collaborating with and lobbying the state to develop the country’s extractive sector.
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