Kiira Motors Corporation Uganda has been voted African Company of the Year during the 2021 African Business Leadership Awards (ABLA).
Eng Dr Silver Mugisha, the Managing Director of National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), was also runners-up in the category of African Regulator of the Year.
The winners, who are in 12 categories, were announced on Monday, 16 August 2021, by African Leadership Magazine, which is spearheading the competition.
Kiira Motors Corporation, a government-owned enterprise that is manufacturing vehicles, on Monday welcomed the recognition, describing it as a Gold medal for Uganda.
NWSC, a water supply and sanitation company, is wholly owned by the government of Uganda.
Eng Dr Mugisha has been instrumental in the transformation of NWSC and has served the Corporation in various capacities since 1994.
The publisher of the magazine, Dr Ken Giami, while unveiling the list of winners in London at the weekend, said each nominee is worthy of recognition and commendation for their selfless services to nation-building.
He added that the winners in the various categories have exhibited these celebrated attributes in admirable capacities and are deserving of great accolade.
The awards attracted over 300, 000 entries on the website and across social media platforms, as well as submissions via email and physical posts from Africans across the continent and in Diaspora.
According to the African Leadership Magazine, the winners emerged through a keenly contested 3-step points-based selection process.
The process included a call for nomination, a call for online voting for shortlisted nominees, and the editorial board’s final review of the nominations.
The online voting was responsible for sixty-five percentage points and supporting evidence was responsible for 35% in the final selection process for the 2021 winners.
All winners and their runners-up shall be presented with an award trophy and formally decorated with the instruments of the honour at the 6th Invest in Africa Summit, which is scheduled to hold on September 16 – 17, 2021.
Below is the list of winners as unveiled by the group: (LIST ALL WINNERS AND RUNNERS UP)
AFRICAN BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR
Segun Ogunsanya, CEO, Airtel Africa, Nigeria – Winner
Simphiwe Tshabalala, CEO, Standard Bank Group, South Africa – Runner up
AFRICAN FEMALE BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR
Patience Akyianu, Chief Executive Officer, Hollard Group in Ghana – Winner
Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch, CEO, Aksal Group, Morocco – Runner up
AFRICAN REGULATOR OF THE YEAR
Poppy Khoza, CEO of the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) – Winner
Silver Mugisha, CEO Uganda Water and Sewerage Corporation – Runner Up
Brima Baluwa Koroma, Executive Chairman, Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Sierra Leone – Runner up
BUSINESS FRIENDLY GOVERNOR OF THE YEAR
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor, Lagos State, Nigeria Winner
Alan Winde, Premier, Western Cape Province, South Africa Runner up
CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR OF THE YEAR
Harvesh Kumar Seegolam, Governor, Bank of Mauritius – Winner
Caroline Abel, Governor, Central Bank of Seychelles – Runner up
AFRICA TRADE AND INVESTMENT MINISTER OF THE YEAR
Nevin Jameh, Minister of Industry, Trade and Small Industries, Egypt – Winner
AmadouHott, Minister for the Economy, Planning and Cooperation, Senegal – Runner up
AFRICAN CEO OF THE YEAR
Benedict Peters, CEO, Aiteo Group, Nigeria – Winner
Rebecca Mbithi, CEO, Family Bank, Kenya – Runner up
YOUNG BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR
Kwadwo Safo Junior, CEO, Kantanka Group Ghana – Winner
Uzair Essack, CEO, Riyp, South Africa – Runner up
AFRICAN CSR & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IMPACT AWARD
Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) – Winner
Equatorial Guinea LNG Holdings – Runner up
AFRICAN BRAND OF THE YEAR
Ethiopian Airlines – Winner
Eat’n’Go Africa – Runner up
AFRICAN COMPANY OF THE YEAR
Kiira Motors Corporation Uganda Winner
Vodafone Ghana Runner up
INDUSTRY PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Kwame Osei-Prempeh, Group CEO, Ghana Oil Company Limited – Winner
Sabah M. Mashaly, Managing Director, Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), Egypt – Runner up
AFRICAN LOCAL CONTENT ICON AWARD
Simbi Wabote, CEO, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board
CENTRAL BANK OF THE YEAR
Bank of Ghana