The Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) Board has begun the process of recruiting a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to succeed Ziria Tibalwa Waako, whose second five-year term is set to end in March 2027.
However, the exercise, which started a few weeks ago, has already attracted controversy, with allegations of opacity and favouritism emerging from within the institution.
According to insiders, the recruitment process is being treated as a mere formality, with claims that a section of senior management is actively fronting and has already “settled” on one of the internal directors for the top job, despite the position still being formally advertised.
At the same time, another senior internal candidate—described by some staff as highly competent and capable of driving reforms in a sector long affected by allegations of mismanagement, board influence, internal cliques, and favouritism—reportedly had their current position advertised externally as part of what insiders view as an uneven application of procedure. Their contract is also nearing expiry.
ERA management, however, has defended the process, insisting that advertising the CEO position internally first is a standard human resource practice aimed at strengthening internal career progression.
“If the Board does not get enough internal competition or the required competencies, then the job is advertised externally. This applies to all positions. Healthy organisations like ERA build strong internal talent pipelines while remaining open to external expertise when strategic needs demand it,” the authority said in its defence.
On the decision to advertise one of the competing senior roles externally, management dismissed concerns of irregularity, arguing that such practices are common in leadership recruitment to balance continuity with institutional renewal.
“In leadership and human resource management, this is sometimes referred to as balancing organisational continuity with organisational renewal,” ERA added.
According to the advertisement, applicants for the CEO position must submit their applications by July 15. Eligible candidates are required to hold at least a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in fields such as Administration, Engineering, Economics, Finance, Law, Management, or Environment.
In addition, candidates must be members of a recognised professional body, registered with the Engineers Registration Board of Uganda (ERB), possess strong knowledge of the electricity supply industry, and have at least 15 years of work experience, with a minimum of seven years at senior management level in a reputable organisation.
The CEO will be expected to work closely with senior management to execute ERA’s mandate, develop and implement strategic plans, and guide policy direction in line with national frameworks such as Vision 2040 and the National Development Plan IV.
Tibalwa’s career in the electricity sector spans decades, beginning in the Operations and Planning department of the former Uganda Electricity Board (UEB).
She later served at the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) as Principal Planning Engineer before joining ERA as Director for Technical Regulation. She took over the CEO role from Dr Benon Mutambi, who was appointed Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Internal Affairs in November 2016.
ERA is one of the key institutions established under Uganda’s power sector reforms of 1999, which unbundled the former vertically integrated UEB into separate entities, including UETCL, Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL), and Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL).
The reforms were intended to improve efficiency, attract private investment, expand electricity access, and enhance financial sustainability in the power sector.
ERA’s core mandate includes licensing electricity industry players, setting technical and safety standards, enforcing compliance, and approving electricity tariffs.
In recent months, however, the regulator has come under scrutiny amid operational challenges in the electricity distribution chain. This culminated in the decision to send UEDCL Managing Director Paul Mwesigwa on forced leave on April 30, following a reported increase in system losses from 15 percent to 19 percent, alongside persistent nationwide power outages.
UEDCL management had previously accused ERA in audit-related reports of failing to adequately supervise the sector during the two-decade tenure of Umeme Ltd as the main distribution concessionaire.
The utility also presented a network status report estimating infrastructure defects and related issues at about $85 million (approximately Shs315 billion), with urgent repairs and spare parts costs projected at around $60 million (Shs223 billion).
Meanwhile, uncertainty remains over Mwesigwa’s fate, as the Employment Act does not clearly define a fixed duration for forced leave. His prolonged absence continues to raise questions about potential financial implications should his suspension be handled improperly.
Additionally, seven senior managers who were also placed on forced leave for one month have now had their suspension extended for another month, deepening uncertainty within the utility’s leadership structure.
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