Internal war at UNOC as top bosses hijack executive seats

quiet unease ripples through UNOC as top executives secure five-year contract extensions until 2031, blocking promotion paths for mid-level managers.

KAMPALA, Uganda — A quiet unease is bubbling at the Uganda National Oil Company following the extension of contracts for top executives until 2031 and beyond.

The decision has disrupted expectations for natural succession, a human resource strategy aimed at identifying and grooming internal talent to take over from leadership, some of whom will hit the 10-year mark next year. Mid-level managers who anticipated advancing into leadership roles must now wait longer.

The state-owned company, co-supervised by the energy and finance ministries, handles the commercial aspects of the petroleum industry. This includes holding licenses in upstream ventures like the Tilenga oil field, operated by French firm TotalEnergies EP, and the Kingfisher oil field, operated by China National Offshore Oil Corporation Uganda Ltd.

In midstream operations, the company holds a 15 percent stake in the East African Crude Oil Pipeline and a 40 percent stake in Kabaale Refinery Company Ltd. Internal documents indicate pre-construction activities for the refinery are ongoing, with a final investment decision expected in February 2027.

Downstream, the company began sole importation of refined oil products in late 2023. By January 2026, alongside broker Vitol Bahrain E.C., it had imported an estimated 1.75 billion liters of petroleum products, including petrol, diesel, kerosene and aviation fuel.

To secure supply lines through infrastructure operated by the Kenya Pipeline Company, the Uganda National Oil Company acquired a 20.15 percent stake in the Kenyan entity through an initial public offering in February. The company also manages the Kabalega Industrial Park in Hoima, with the cabinet approving a $120 million loan to launch its development.

With multiple projects underway and executive contracts set to expire between 2026 and 2027, sources said senior management and select board members petitioned President Yoweri Museveni for extensions to ensure stability ahead of commercial oil production.

In late January, Museveni directed the Ministry of Energy to work with the board to extend the contracts by five years, citing specialization and stability. The directive covers department heads, led by Chief Executive Officer Proscovia Nabbanja.

The company features five departments and two subsidiaries: Uganda Refinery Holdings Company Ltd, headed by Michael Mugerwa, and the National Pipeline Company Ltd, led by John Bosco Habumugisha, who is currently seconded to EACOP as deputy managing director.

The contract extension applies to the 10-member senior management team. Nabbanja, a geologist, joined the company in November 2016 as chief operating officer for upstream and became CEO on August 12, 2019, following the resignation of Josephine Kasalamwa Wapakabulo.

The extension also includes the two subsidiary general managers; Company Secretary Peter Muliisa, who was hired in 2016; Human Resource Manager Catherine Tumusiime; Chief Commercial Officer Gilbert Kamuntu; Chief Finance Officer Emmanuel Mugaga; and Upstream General Manager Philips Obita. Chief Operating Officer Samantha Muhwezi and Corporate Affairs Officer Tony Otoa joined the senior management team in 2024.

The company and the Petroleum Authority of Uganda were established under the Petroleum Act of 2013. While the law limits the petroleum authority’s executive director to two five-year terms—a provision currently causing a standoff over succession—the statute remains silent on management tenures for the national oil company. However, internal company human resource policy mandates five-year terms for top executives.

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