UIA fires ED Jolly Kaguhangire, searches for competent and qualified individuals – board

The board of Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) has sacked the Executive Director Jolly Kamukira Kaguhangire, ending her tenure at the promotion agency.

Kaguhangire’s four years’ contract was terminated a year after her interdiction on accounts of findings of a select committee which implicated her of abuse of office, incompetence, gross insubordination, irregular recruitment and concealment.

The others are misinformation and lying to the board as well causing gross financial loss to government by unjustifiably closing the investment offices at Kampala Investment and Business Park, Namanve.

According to Dr Emily Kugonza, the board chairperson, the position has since been advertised for competent and qualified individuals to occupy.

“Recruitment process should be concluded by September for the new Director-General in tandem with the new law which re-designated all government Executive Director Positions to Director Generals in February this year.” He said

HE said, Kaguhangire’s case has since been handed to responsible government agency to recover funds she is accused of misappropriating.

In May, the Inspectorate of Government ordered the new board of the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) to sack six staff who were recruited as investment executives in disregard of required qualifications. According to the whistleblower, the six employees were recruited during the reign of the former Executive Director of UIA Jolly Kamuhangire.

Those that must face the axe included Mark Wagubala, Simon Paul Ngabo, Kara Tanya Komuhangi, Alice Ndagire, Adam Mutebi and Ida Dean Rwego.

According to the job description, investment executives (IEs) needed to have studied obtained a degree in Commerce, Economics, Business Administration, Entrepreneurship or a related course. However, the six staff lined for sacking respectively possess degrees in ; Quantity Surveying, MBA, Social Science, Business Computing, Procurement and Supplies Chains Management, Law and International Relations.

The Deputy Inspector of Government, Mariam F. Wangadya, also said the board should consider reviewing the appointments of Mr Mark Wagubala, Mr Simon Paul Ngabo, Ms Kara Tanya Komuhangi, Ms Alice Ndagire, Mr Adam Mutebi and Ms Ida Dean Rwego who did not have requisite qualifications but were interviewed and appointed as IEs.

In a February 6, letter copied to State Minister Privatization and Investment, Mr Kasaija said effective April 1, 2019 the entire board would be terminated following the presidential assent to the new Investment Act.

“The purpose of this letter is to request you to bring to the attention of members of the board that following the enactment of the new investment law, their membership has been terminated and a new board appointed,” the letter, which was also copied to the UIA chairman and the acting executive director, reads the letter in part.

President Museveni on February 20 assented to the Investment Code Act 2019, which in essence put in place new measures leading to the dissolution of the UIA board. The code in part seeks to reduce the number of UIA board members from the current 13 to seven.