In a significant leadership transition, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni appointed Ms. Lynda Biribonwa as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU). She succeeds Ms. Jane N. Mulemwa (PhD), whose second and final four-year term concluded 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 and six other members to the PAU Board on June 18th, 2024, under Section 17 (2) of the Petroleum (Exploration, Development, and Production) Act, 2021.
Ms. Biribonwa, an environment, health, and safety specialist, brings a wealth of experience to the role. She is a certified Lead Environmental Management Systems Auditor with over twenty-three years of expertise in strategic, policy, compliance, and practitioner levels. Her educational background includes 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 current appointment, Ms. Biribonwa served on the previous Board as the head of the Governance, Board, and Audit Committee. This committee is instrumental in developing and recommending policies and procedures to ensure sound governance practices, guiding the Board in fulfilling its oversight role.
Others appointed to the new Board include Mr. Bernard Ongodia, the Principal of Uganda Petroleum Institute, Kigumba (UPIK). Mr. Adrian Bukenya the Country Director for the Mastercard Foundation in Uganda and Mr. Innocent Kihika an Energy Lawyer.
New entrants to the seven-member Board include Ms Oduka Ochan Achan a finance specialist. Ms. Solome Galiwango a Member of the Association of Energy Engineers and the Energy Efficiency Association of Uganda Prof. Vincent Bagire the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at Makerere University Business School.
Inside the New PAU Board of Directors
Ms Lynda Biribonwa, ChairpersonMs Biribonwa is an environment, health, and 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, 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.
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 Authority’s internal audit function.
Mr Bernard Ongodia, Member, Mr Bernard Ongodia is a Geophysicist with over twenty (20) years of experience in Petroleum Exploration, Development and Production. He served as a Senior and Principal Geophysicist at MEMD.
He was also the Head of the National Content Unit in the Directorate of Petroleum (DoP), Project Coordinator Skills for the 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), a 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 the USA.
He is the Country Director for the Mastercard Foundation in Uganda. Before this, he served as Uganda Country Manager for Baker Hughes providing advisory to the Baker Hughes & General Electric businesses for 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. 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 the Law Development Centre, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Telecommunication and Information Technology Law- from the 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 is a finance specialist with over forty- two (42) years of 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 and Secretary who established the Uganda Women’s Finance and Credit Trust 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, a seasoned professional with over twenty (20) years of 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 the Uganda Project Coordinator for the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and was the Technical Officer of energy Efficiency.
Professor Vicent Bagire
Prof. Vicent Bagire, a Management Specialist with over twenty-seven (27) years of 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. Before 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 the 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).
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