Kiwanuka Appointed Acting Chairperson of Uganda National Mining Company

Maria Kiwanuka was appointed acting chairperson of the Uganda National Mining Company (UNMC), following a leadership shake-up at the state-owned enterprise. Kiwanuka, who was already a UNMC board member, took over after the resignation of board chairperson James Mukasa Ssebugenyi and the termination of vice chairperson James Byagaba’s appointment. The changes were announced by the ministry of Energy and Mineral Development on September 24, 2026, citing the need to address governance and management challenges affecting UNMC.

UNMC is wholly owned by the government and manages the state’s commercial interests in the mining and minerals sector. The company's shareholders include the ministry of Energy and Mineral Development with a 51 per cent stake, and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development with a 49 per cent stake. Kiwanuka is expected to lead the board in overseeing a recovery programme focused on corporate governance and performance management.