KAMPALA – The Ugandan government on Saturday announced a sweeping leadership shake-up at the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL), terminating the board chair and placing the managing director on forced leave.
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development confirmed the removal of Board Chairperson Lydia Ochieng-Obbo and the suspension of Managing Director Paul Mwesigwa. In a statement, the ministry cited the need for a “comprehensive review of the company’s management and operations” to strengthen governance and service delivery in the electricity sub-sector.
While the ministry did not disclose specific allegations of misconduct, the move comes amid growing public frustration over power reliability and the slow pace of rural electrification. An interim board has been appointed to maintain operational stability during the investigation.
The purge is seen as part of President Yoweri Museveni’s broader effort to crack down on inefficiencies within state-owned enterprises, which have frequently been blamed for hindering Uganda’s industrialization goals.
