The Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Dr Monica Musenero, has approved the appointment of a new Executive Director for the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), ending months of uncertainty over the leadership of the country’s petroleum regulator.
The new Executive Director-designate will succeed Ernest Rubondo, whose second and final term ended on August 31, 2026.
However, PAU has not yet disclosed the identity of the incoming Executive Director, saying the Minister and the Board of Directors are finalising the onboarding process.
In a statement issued by PAU Board Chairperson Lynda Biribonwa, remained silent about the person nominated to replace Rubondo.
“The Honourable Minister and the Board of Directors are working to finalise the onboarding of the Executive Director-designate, whose details will be communicated in due course,” the statement reads.
In the interim, Musenero has appointed Otonga Michael Ochan, the Director of Finance and Corporate Services at PAU, as Acting Executive Director.
Ochan assumed the role on September 1, 2026, and will serve pending the assumption of office by the Executive Director-designate.
Ochan is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants of the United Kingdom and a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda.
He holds a Master of Business Administration from Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, and has more than 21 years of experience in strategic planning, financial management, corporate governance, leadership and administration.
Before joining PAU, Ochan served for nine years as Commissioner of Corporate Services at the Uganda Revenue Authority, where he was responsible for Finance, Administration, Human Resources and Information Technology.
His appointment comes as Uganda’s petroleum sector approaches a critical transition from project development to commercial production.
PAU is responsible for regulating Uganda’s petroleum industry, including exploration, development, production and aspects of transportation and commercialisation.
Rubondo, who was the Authority’s inaugural Executive Director, served for two terms, overseeing the regulator during a decade in which Uganda moved from petroleum discoveries to the development of the Kingfisher and Tilenga projects and associated infrastructure.
His departure comes as Uganda prepares for first oil, with the Kingfisher Development Area nearing completion and the Tilenga project and East African Crude Oil Pipeline progressing towards commercial production.
The Ministry of Energy advertised the position of PAU Executive Director in December 2025, several months before Rubondo’s term expired.
The approval of a successor now means the leadership transition has formally moved to the onboarding stage, although the identity of the incoming Executive Director remains undisclosed. PAU’s statement did not provide a timeline for when the Executive Director-designate will assume office-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
