Ernest Rubondo, the founding Executive Director of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda, has finally exited the authority, 10 years after he was appointed in 2016.
The Board of Directors of the authority, in the meantime, has appointed Mr Otonga Michael Ochan, Director of Finance and Corporate Services, as Acting Executive Director of the Authority, who took over the office on September 1, 2026.
A statement issued by the BOD says the process of getting a substantive Executive Director is already underway, and a new boss will be announced when the process is complete.
“The Board of Directors of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda informs stakeholders that the Honourable Minister of Energy and Mineral Development communicated the approval of the appointment of a new Executive Director for the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU),” the statement in part reads.
“In the interim, the Honourable Minister appointed Mr Otonga Michael Ochan, Director Finance and Corporate Services, as Acting Executive Director of the Authority, effective 1st September 2026, pending the assumption of office by the Executive Director-designate,” the statement adds.
The Authority said in the statement that the Executive Director-designate who will succeed Mr Ernest Rubondo, whose second term of office concluded on 31st August 2026, will be onboarded by the 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 Board takes this opportunity to express its sincere appreciation to Mr Rubondo for his exemplary leadership and distinguished service, which contributed to the institutional growth of the PAU, and the advancement of Uganda’s petroleum sector,” the statement says.
Rubondo, who holds a Master of Science in Petroleum Reservoir Geology awarded by Imperial College London in 1990, was appointed as the Executive Director of PAU in 2016 when it was created.
Before that, following his studies in London, he worked briefly with Scott Pickford Plc in the United Kingdom. Rubondo returned to Uganda and began work at the Ministry of Energy, Oil and Mineral Development.
A member of the Uganda government team that promoted the country's petroleum potential to industry and also negotiated production sharing agreements with oil companies for acreage in the Albertine Graben.
From 2008 until 2014, he served as commissioner for the Petroleum Exploration and Production Department. He then served as director for petroleum in the Ministry of Energy, Oil and Mineral Development.
In 2015, when the government of Uganda created the Directorate of Petroleum in the Energy Ministry, Rubondo was appointed its acting director. In June 2016, he was named executive director of Uganda's Petroleum Authority.
The authority said during the transition period, the Authority’s operations, management structures, and reporting lines remain unchanged.
“The Authority will continue to exercise its full mandate to ensure effective coordination, uninterrupted service delivery, and business continuity. The Board reassures stakeholders, industry players, and the public that the PAU remains fully committed to the efficient and effective management of Uganda’s petroleum resources for sustainable national development,” the statement said.
About Mr Otonga
Mr Otonga 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 also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland.
He brings over 21 years of experience in strategic planning, financial management, corporate governance, leadership, and administration.
