Overview:

Nile Breweries Limited announces Olive Birungi Lumonya as its new board chairperson and confirms a reconstituted board of directors to lead Uganda's top brewer.

KAMPALA, Uganda — Nile Breweries Limited has announced a significant restructuring of its leadership, appointing a new chairperson and reconstituting its board of directors to oversee the country’s largest brewing operations.

Olive Birungi Lumonya assumed the role of board chairperson effective Jan. 1, 2026. She succeeds the late Francis Onapito Ekomoloit, the prominent corporate leader and former presidential press secretary who died in September 2024. Ms. Lumonya currently serves as the deputy director general of the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority and brings more than two decades of executive experience to the role.

The appointment marks a return to the company for Ms. Lumonya, who began her career at Nile Breweries as its first brand manager. During her initial 10-year tenure, she was instrumental in the market development of flagship products including Nile Special and Club Pilsener. She later held senior leadership positions at the National Social Security Fund and SOS Children’s Villages Uganda.

In addition to the new chairperson, the company confirmed the appointment of three new board members to provide strategic oversight. These include Jose Moran, the AB InBev president for the Southeast Africa business unit, and Nkanyiso Mncwabe, who took over as the managing director of Nile Breweries on Jan. 1. Emmanuel Njuki, the company’s head of legal and corporate affairs and chairman of the Uganda Alcohol Industry Association, also joins the board.

The reconstituted leadership team is completed by Finance Director Eunice Muheirwe, who remains on the board to ensure continuity in financial governance.

Nile Breweries, a subsidiary of the global giant Anheuser-Busch InBev, remains a critical pillar of the Ugandan economy. The company operates major production facilities in Jinja and Mbarara with a total capacity of 3 million hectolitres. As one of the nation’s top five taxpayers, the brewer maintains an extensive agricultural supply chain involving more than 25,000 local farmers across 32 districts.

Ms. Lumonya said she is committed to providing strategic leadership that honors the legacy of her predecessor while positioning the company for continued growth.