KAMPALA – The ICT Minister Judith Nabakooba has picked Ms. Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo to replace Eng Godfrey Mutabaazi whose contract as Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) Executive Director has come to end.
Minister Nabakooba in a letter dated Friday, February 7, 2020, noted Eng. Kaggwa Sewankambo, who has been the director of Engineering and communications infrastructure, has taken over in acting capacity until a substantive director is appointed.
UCC management has confirmed the new changes in a public statement.
“This is to inform the communications sector and the general public that effective 10th February 2020, Eng. Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo, the Director of Engineering and Communication infrastructure at Uganda Communications Commission shall serve as the acting Executive Director of the UCC until a substantive director is appointed in accordance with section 16 of the Uganda Communication Act,” a press statement reads in parts.
“This follows the expiry of Mr. Mutabazi’s tenure as the Executive Director of the UCC and as such we take this opportunity to thank Mr. Mutabazi for the tremendous contribution that he made for the UCC and the Communications sector.”
Eng. Mutabazi who replaced Eng. Patrick Masambu in 2010 has presided over one of the fastest-growing sectors in Uganda.
Under his leadership, UCC has registered growth in Mobile and fixed subscriptions grew from less than 50,000 active lines in 1996 to 24 million in 2018, according to statics shared by Ibrahim Bbosa, the consumer affairs manager at UCC.
MTN Uganda’s Chief Executive Officer Wim Vanhelleputte praised Mutabazi on SIM card registration.
“…one of the best decisions UCC has ever made is directing the use of Biometrics for SIM card registration and verification.”
He also commended UCC for attracting global brands in the market including Huawei, Ericsson, MTN Uganda, Vodafone (left), Airtel Uganda, Liquid/Infocom, Simbanet/Wanainchi Group, Lycamobile, and Multichoice.
Other multinationals include Star-Times, DHL, FEDEX, Smile Communications, Google, Seacom, UTL, Kwese TV, Nation Medi Group and Azam Television.
Uganda now leads the continent in having the most liberalized broadcasting industry with about 292 licensed FM radios and over 35 Television stations.
There are more than 40 Free – To – Air TV channels and the completion of Analogue to Digital Migrations need mention in spite of a few challenges.
The country also enjoys more than 90 percent population coverage with basic cellular network signals and now considering national roaming that will further improve the same.
All this comes at the back of an innovative licensing regime, prudent monitoring, inspection, supervision, control, and regulation.
