Uganda Telecom has a brand new boss. The government-run phone company just picked Paul Patrick Ikopit to lead everything as CEO. This big news came from a press release on Monday after board members met last week. They gathered at Telecom House in Kampala under the leadership of board chairman Engineer Denis Mugwanya, who ran these important meetings.
The company added two more key leaders during these changes. David Kakembo stepped into the role of Chief Technology and Information Officer. Maggie Lutwama Mukiibi became Chief Operations Officer after already helping run daily activities at the telecom firm. These leadership moves happened because of major changes in how the company operates and who controls it.
Last October, Uganda's government struck a deal with Rowad Capital Commercial from the United Arab Emirates. This agreement completely changed who ran the telecom company. The UAE business invested $225 million (about 836.5 billion Ugandan shillings) and received 60% control of the business. Uganda kept the other 40%, split between two government departments - Finance holds 26% and ICT keeps 14%.
Chairman Mugwanya explained that their first big job involves making sure everything transfers smoothly between leaders. "During the upcoming months, we plan to focus on taking over management tasks. We must successfully integrate the National Backbone Infrastructure and E-Government Infrastructure systems into our company operations," he said when discussing future plans.
Before joining Uganda Telecom, Ikopit worked as country director at Onafriq Uganda, a financial technology company that handles money transfers across borders. His background includes valuable experience at MTN Group from 2007 through 2009. There, he managed corporate performance across 22 different country operations, giving him strong preparation for his challenging new leadership position.
The company added two more key leaders during these changes. David Kakembo stepped into the role of Chief Technology and Information Officer. Maggie Lutwama Mukiibi became Chief Operations Officer after already helping run daily activities at the telecom firm. These leadership moves happened because of major changes in how the company operates and who controls it.
Last October, Uganda's government struck a deal with Rowad Capital Commercial from the United Arab Emirates. This agreement completely changed who ran the telecom company. The UAE business invested $225 million (about 836.5 billion Ugandan shillings) and received 60% control of the business. Uganda kept the other 40%, split between two government departments - Finance holds 26% and ICT keeps 14%.
Chairman Mugwanya explained that their first big job involves making sure everything transfers smoothly between leaders. "During the upcoming months, we plan to focus on taking over management tasks. We must successfully integrate the National Backbone Infrastructure and E-Government Infrastructure systems into our company operations," he said when discussing future plans.
Before joining Uganda Telecom, Ikopit worked as country director at Onafriq Uganda, a financial technology company that handles money transfers across borders. His background includes valuable experience at MTN Group from 2007 through 2009. There, he managed corporate performance across 22 different country operations, giving him strong preparation for his challenging new leadership position.
