Paul Lwanga, a long-time lieutenant of Next Media CEO Kin Kariisa, may be on his way out of the company, according to multiple sources.
Having risen through the ranks from Human Resources Officer to Chief People Officer, to Chief Operations Officer, and then to General Manager of Hillcom (a Next Media subsidiary), insiders have told Bbeg Media that Lwanga’s influence has sharply declined in recent months.
According to these sources, Lwanga was removed from the Top Management Team in January of this year, following the company’s restructuring of its management structure. It was a clear signal that his grip on power had loosened.
At his peak, as Chief People Officer, Lwanga, who joined Next Media in 2015, was widely feared. Usually dressed in checkered shirts, a pair of jeans, and a Stetson hat, he would prowl the corridors, trading gossip and identifying “trouble makers.”
Yet most importantly, Lwanga was the chief enforcer of Kariisa’s decisions. Once given instructions by the boss, he would implement them unquestionably, sometimes clashing with other staff members.
But over time, sources said, the relationship between the two soured.
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It all started with the restructuring this year when Lwanga was sent to head Hillcom, a subsidiary of Next Media that provides IT solutions to other businesses. He replaced Sam Agona, who had left months earlier to pursue further studies.
In this role, Lwanga, who used to supervise more than 100 people before as COO, now leads a team of about seven people.
“His powers were greatly reduced, and he even stopped regularly attending some of the company’s events,” one of our sources said.
He was also reportedly given a demanding revenue target of $50,000 per quarter. Sources say he repeatedly underperformed and never met the target. This failure may have sealed his fate. As a result, Lwanga, we have been told, has been notified that his services may not be needed at the company.
Lwanga’s impending exit comes amid broader structural realignments at Next Media. Earlier this year, Kariisa ordered a “digital realignment” that led to reshuffles across departments.
Lwanga’s departure would mark a turning point for Next Media, which made it 17 years this year. Once viewed as Kariisa’s blue-eyed boy, he has for years been central to personnel decisions and wielded considerable informal power. He is also arguably one of the least liked managers among staff.
For now, Next Media has not publicly commented on Lwanga’s alleged exit. However, we have been told that he could be replaced by David Nsubuga, the Chief Technology Officer at Blue Crane Communications, one of the leading IT solutions firms in Uganda.
