The five-year tenure of Robert Mukiza as director general of the Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) is set to expire this month, raising fresh questions about the agency’s leadership and future direction.
It remains unclear whether Mukiza will seek reappointment. However, sources within the authority say discussions about succession and institutional restructuring are already under way.
UIA is mandated to attract and facilitate both foreign and domestic investment in Uganda. Yet, insiders describe an institution grappling with internal challenges, including governance concerns, strained relations with supervising authorities and delays in key industrial park projects.
A recent internal assessment by the UIA board is understood to have raised concerns about the pace of implementation of flagship projects, particularly developments at the Namanve industrial park. The project, one of the authority’s most significant undertakings, has reportedly faced cost adjustments and scope changes over time.
Sources familiar with the review process say the board has been evaluating overall institutional performance and leadership effectiveness, though officials have not publicly commented on the details.
At policy level, there are also indications of a possible restructuring of the investment promotion framework.
Officials in the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development are said to be considering a proposal to transfer UIA to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (MOTIC).
The proposal would see UIA integrated with the Uganda Free Zones and Export Promotions Authority, an agency with a related mandate in export promotion and free zones development. Proponents argue that the move could streamline overlapping responsibilities and improve efficiency in investment promotion.
People familiar with the discussions say the plan has been submitted for cabinet consideration, although no official decision has been announced.
Within UIA, attention has also turned to possible leadership changes. Sources indicate that the board has been weighing internal succession options, including the role of deputy director general Martin Muhangi, though no formal appointment has been confirmed.
Efforts to obtain comment from UIA board chairperson Dr Robert Kyamanywa were unsuccessful by press time.
The leadership uncertainty comes at a time when the government is emphasising investment as a key driver of economic growth, making stability at the country’s primary investment agency a matter of strategic importance.
