Former Minister Nyombi Thembo Appointed UCC Boss

George William Nyombi Thembo, former ICT minister, has been appointed as the new executive director of the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), succeeding Eng Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo. Thembo will assume leadership on December 1 for a five-year term.

Sewankambo, who served in an acting capacity since February 10, 2020, expressed surprise reactions on social media, acknowledging her role in enhancing UCC’s public image through open engagement, particularly on platforms like Twitter. Thembo’s appointment was met with well-wishes from Sewankambo, who wished UCC and the new ED success.

Thembo, aged 59, served as the director of Uganda Communications Universal Service and Access Fund (UCUSAF) since January 2017. He brings a wealth of experience, having been the state minister for Information Technology from 2011 to 2015. Thembo, a former MP for Kassanda County, holds degrees from Makerere University and Uganda Martyrs University, along with diplomas in project planning and management (Bradford University, UK) and financial management (UMU).

His extensive background includes roles as an analyst and planning officer at the Uganda Railways Corporation in the 1990s, followed by a position as project manager for the Transport Rehabilitation Project (railway component) at Kampala City Council. The appointment comes after a search process, with Thembo identified as one of the four finalists, alongside outgoing Sewankambo and directors Julianne Mweheire and Fred Otunnu.