Lynda Biribonwa, an environment, health, and safety specialist, has been appointed Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU).
She succeeded Dr. Jane Nambakire Mulemwa (PhD), who had led the regulatory body of the petroleum sector since its inception in 2015. Dr. Mulemwa’s second and final four-year term ended in May 2024.
A statement from the Authority confirmed President Yoweri Museveni appointed Lynda Biribonwa as the new Chairperson and six others as Members of the PAU Board on June 18th, 2024, per Section 17 (2) of the Petroleum (Exploration, Development, and Production) Act, 2021.
Parliament in June vetted Biribonwa, together with the new members of the board.
She and three new members of the board were in June vetted by the Parliamentary Appointments Committee which approved their appointment. .
Lynda Biribonwa is not new at the Petroleum Authority. She served under the previous Board as the head of the Governance, Board, and Audit Committee.
The Committee has been crucial in developing and recommending policies and procedures to ensure sound governance practices are in place and guides the Board in fulfilling its oversight role.
The Sneak Peak
Lynda Biribonwa,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.
Bernard Ongodia
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 the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development. 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), 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.
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.
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).
Adrian Bukenya
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.
He has a wide range of experience including business development, government relations, regulatory affairs, organizational 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.
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 concerning 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.
Innocent Kihika
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.
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
Oduka Ochan is a finance specilaist with over forty-two years experience in finance planning, marketing, strategic planning and programme/project design management, insititutional nd orgainisation development, communication and banking.
She holds a Master of Development Studies from the University College Dublin and a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) Degree from Makerere University.
She 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.
She 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.
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.
She 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.
She was the Uganda Country Manager for Green Powered Techology LLC, was Uganda Project Coordinator for the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), and the Technical Officer of Energy Efficiency.
Professor Vincent Bagire
Prof. Vincent Bagire, a Management Specialist with over twenty-seven years of teaching exprience 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.
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).