Kasekende's term comes to an end

 

 

 

According to the Bank of Uganda Website, Kasekende had worked for 17 years at the central bank in several capacities, including as director of the research department, executive director responsible for research and policy and served as deputy governor between 1999 and 2002. He has previously served as a member of the United Nations Group of Eminent Persons for the Least Developed Countries and the World Bank Knowledge Advisory Commission.

 

Currently, Kasekende is a board member of the African Export Import Bank (AFREXIMBANK), the International Economics Association (IEA) and the Africa Economic Research Consortium (AERC). He is also a member of the National Steering Committee on Capital Markets Development in Uganda.   

                         

Kasekende holds a bachelor of arts degree from Makerere University, diploma in econometrics, masters of arts and PhD in econometrics from the University of Manchester. He has authored several articles in academic journals and books.

 

Kasekende's first term seemed like a smooth sail, devoid of controversy, but the second, especially towards the end, was not. He was in the thick of many a controversy, but among all, the sale of Crane Bank, which was owned by businessman Sudhir Ruparelia, to dfcu Bank, stood out like the proverbial sore thumb for the way it constantly put him on the spot. Pressure was mounted on him, especially after questions about the various alleged hiccups in the sale of Crane Bank.

 

As the day comes closer, the question on everyone's mind is whether President Yoweri Museveni will extend his tenure or not. And if not, who will replace him? Speculations have pointed at Makerere University's professor, Yusuf Balunywa, among other candidates. 

 

It should be noted that from May 2006 to 2009, Kasekende served as chief economist of the African Development Bank (AfDB). As chief economist, he was the bank's spokesperson on socio-economic and development issues of importance for Africa. He supervised the development research department, the statistics department and the African Development Institute. Between 2002 and 2004, he served as alternate executive director and later as executive director at the World Bank for Africa Group 1, which included 22 countries that were mostly from Anglophone Sub-Saharan Africa.