Dr. Rubondo named Petroleum Authority boss

MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND MINERAL DEVELOPMENT

PRESS STATEMENT

APPOINTMENT OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE PAU

KAMPALA, AUGUST 18, 2016 - I am glad to announce the appointment of Mr. Ernest Rubondo as the first Executive Director of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU). The appointment which follows a recommendation by the Board of Directors of PAU ends a search for the Executive Director which started in January 2016.

The function of PAU is to monitor and regulate exploration, development and production of the petroleum in Uganda. These roles have previously been carried out by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and they will hitherto be taken over the Authority.

Mr. Rubondo holds a Master of Science degree on Petroleum Reservoir Geology from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in the UK. He worked with the Petroleum Exploration and Production Department (PEPD) under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development since its inception in 1991 and grew through the ranks to become the head of Department in 2009. He later, in 2015, became the Director for Petroleum in the Ministry, a position he held until this appointment.

In the course of his career, Mr. Rubondo has been a key participant in the promotion of Uganda's petroleum potential, negotiating the country's Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs), monitoring the work of licensed oil companies and in negotiating the commercialization avenues for the country's crude oil. He has also been heavily involved in the formulation of the country's legal and regulatory framework including the National Oil and Policy and the recently enacted petroleum industry legislation for Uganda. He will take up the new assignment at the beginning of September, 2016.

I am confident therefore that Mr. Rubondo's experience and leadership will be a great resource to the efficient start-up and operationalization of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda.

Dr. F.A. Kabagambe-Kaliisa

PERMANENT SECRETARY