Chancellor of Nkumba University, Emmanuel Katongole, has been appointed chairperson of the Board of the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), placing one of Uganda’s most prominent industrialists at the helm of the country’s tax administration oversight body.
Reports indicate that the appointment was made on Thursday, 4th March 2025, by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Matia Kasaija, and will take effect on April 1, 2026. Katongole replaces banker Juma Kisaame, who has served as URA board chairperson since March 2020.
Announcing the appointment, Kasaija said the decision reflects the government’s confidence in Katongole’s leadership and extensive experience in business and public service. “We believe Katongole’s experience in enterprise leadership, governance, and public service will strengthen the URA board as the country intensifies efforts to improve domestic revenue mobilization,” the minister noted, according to reports on the appointment.
Katongole’s appointment comes at a time when the government is intensifying tax administration reforms to increase domestic revenue collection, finance national development programs, and reduce reliance on external borrowing.
Government projections indicate that Uganda expects to collect about Shs 40 trillion in domestic revenues in the 2026/27 financial year, up from approximately Shs 37.2 trillion expected in the 2025/26 financial year.
Who is Emmanuel Katongole?
Born in 1962, Katongole is widely regarded as one of Uganda’s leading entrepreneurs and industrial pioneers. He is the executive chairman of Cipla Quality Chemical Industries Limited, a pharmaceutical manufacturer known for producing antiretroviral and antimalarial medicines in Uganda and across Africa.
He co-founded Quality Chemicals in 1997 and later spearheaded a partnership with the Indian pharmaceutical firm Cipla to establish a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Uganda—an initiative credited with expanding access to life-saving medicines in the region.
Katongole holds a Bachelor of Statistics and a Master’s degree in Economic Policy and Planning from Makerere University.
Beyond the corporate world, Katongole has served in several high-level government and national assignments.
In 2014, President Yoweri Museveni appointed him the founding board chairperson of the Uganda National Oil Company, where he oversaw the early institutional development of Uganda’s oil sector.
He also chaired the National COVID-19 Response Fund established in 2020 to mobilize resources for the country’s response to the pandemic.
Katongole currently serves as chairman of the Presidential CEO Forum, a platform that brings together government and private sector leaders to promote industrialization and economic growth.
Katongole is also a long-standing member of Rotary International, where he has held several leadership positions over the years. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Muyenga and previously served as District Governor for Rotary District 9214, covering Uganda and parts of East Africa.
In recognition of his leadership and service, he was elected Rotary International Director for Zones 21 and 22, representing Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe for the 2026–2028 term.
He also chairs the board of trustees of the Uganda Rotary Blood Bank and sits on advisory initiatives promoting peace and community development through Rotary programs.
In addition to his business and public service roles, Katongole serves as Chancellor of Nkumba University and frequently speaks at global academic institutions, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University, and the London Business School, on entrepreneurship and economic development.
He has also received international recognition for his humanitarian and civic contributions, including being honored as a papal knight by Pope Francis.
Katongole now assumes leadership of the URA board at a critical moment when the tax body is implementing reforms aimed at expanding the tax base, improving compliance, and supporting Uganda’s long-term economic transformation.
His appointment signals the government’s continued reliance on private sector leadership to steer strategic public institutions tasked with delivering the country’s development agenda.
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