Overview:
KAMPALA, Uganda — Hariss International, the Ugandan manufacturer behind the Riham brand, has appointed Henry Rugamba as board chairman and Mark Ocitti Ongom as a non-executive director, moves the company says will strengthen its governance as it pursues expansion across East Africa.
The appointments come as the food and beverage maker positions itself to grow from a national manufacturer into a regional fast-moving consumer goods company. Together, the two executives bring more than 60 years of experience in consumer goods, telecommunications, banking, energy and strategic communications across the region.
Rugamba, a corporate affairs and governance specialist with more than 30 years of experience, is managing partner at Songa Communications. He began his career at British American Tobacco and later worked at power distributor Umeme, where he led efforts to rebuild the company's reputation and improve relations with regulators and customers. He has held senior board roles at BAT Uganda and Equity Bank Uganda, and in June was named chairman of Equity Bank Uganda after serving as an independent non-executive director.
Ocitti's career spans more than three decades in petroleum, telecommunications, brewing, nutrition and financial services. He spent 11 years at Shell Uganda, rising to retail sales director, before holding senior commercial roles at Bharti Airtel in Uganda, Zambia and Kenya. In 2014, he joined East African Breweries Ltd., part of Diageo, where he served as managing director of Uganda Breweries Ltd., Serengeti Breweries Ltd. in Tanzania and Kenya Breweries Ltd., Diageo's largest operating company in East Africa.
Ocitti later led Sanku, a pan-African social enterprise focused on food fortification, and chaired Equity Bank Uganda until his term ended in June. He became chief executive and a director of Stanbic Uganda Holdings Ltd. on July 10.
Founded in 1995 as Riham Foods and initially built around the Riham Red biscuit, Hariss expanded into beverages in 2005. The company now employs about 1,750 to 1,800 people and produces more than 120 products across beverages, biscuits, snacks and confectionery. Beverages account for roughly 90% of the business, led by brands including Rock Boom, Oner Juice, SkyView, Lavita and Krystal Water.
The company operates a manufacturing complex of about 25 acres and produces its own plastic bottles locally. A partnership with Oppenheimer Partners, formed around 2019 and 2020, brought international capital and accelerated the shift from a family-founded enterprise to a professionally managed organization.
Hariss says exports are growing faster than domestic sales and account for a rising share of revenue. Rwanda and Burundi rank among its strongest export markets, with products also reaching Somalia. The company views the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan as additional growth opportunities.
Regional expansion will require the company to navigate differing regulatory environments, distribution systems, tax regimes and consumer preferences, while Uganda's landlocked position adds logistics costs compared with competitors based in Kenya and Tanzania. At home, Hariss faces competition from established global beverage companies, price-sensitive consumers and rising input costs.
Company officials say the board appointments reflect complementary strengths: Rugamba's governance and stakeholder-management experience as the company grows in visibility, and Ocitti's record of building consumer brands and leading large organizations across multiple African markets.
KAMPALA, Uganda — Hariss International, the Ugandan manufacturer behind the Riham brand, has appointed Henry Rugamba as board chairman and Mark Ocitti Ongom as a non-executive director, moves the company says will strengthen its governance as it pursues expansion across East Africa.
The appointments come as the food and beverage maker positions itself to grow from a national manufacturer into a regional fast-moving consumer goods company. Together, the two executives bring more than 60 years of experience in consumer goods, telecommunications, banking, energy and strategic communications across the region.
Rugamba, a corporate affairs and governance specialist with more than 30 years of experience, is managing partner at Songa Communications. He began his career at British American Tobacco and later worked at power distributor Umeme, where he led efforts to rebuild the company’s reputation and improve relations with regulators and customers. He has held senior board roles at BAT Uganda and Equity Bank Uganda, and in June was named chairman of Equity Bank Uganda after serving as an independent non-executive director.
Ocitti’s career spans more than three decades in petroleum, telecommunications, brewing, nutrition and financial services. He spent 11 years at Shell Uganda, rising to retail sales director, before holding senior commercial roles at Bharti Airtel in Uganda, Zambia and Kenya. In 2014, he joined East African Breweries Ltd., part of Diageo, where he served as managing director of Uganda Breweries Ltd., Serengeti Breweries Ltd. in Tanzania and Kenya Breweries Ltd., Diageo’s largest operating company in East Africa.
Ocitti later led Sanku, a pan-African social enterprise focused on food fortification, and chaired Equity Bank Uganda until his term ended in June. He became chief executive and a director of Stanbic Uganda Holdings Ltd. on July 10.
Founded in 1995 as Riham Foods and initially built around the Riham Red biscuit, Hariss expanded into beverages in 2005. The company now employs about 1,750 to 1,800 people and produces more than 120 products across beverages, biscuits, snacks and confectionery. Beverages account for roughly 90% of the business, led by brands including Rock Boom, Oner Juice, SkyView, Lavita and Krystal Water.
The company operates a manufacturing complex of about 25 acres and produces its own plastic bottles locally. A partnership with Oppenheimer Partners, formed around 2019 and 2020, brought international capital and accelerated the shift from a family-founded enterprise to a professionally managed organization.
Hariss says exports are growing faster than domestic sales and account for a rising share of revenue. Rwanda and Burundi rank among its strongest export markets, with products also reaching Somalia. The company views the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan as additional growth opportunities.
Regional expansion will require the company to navigate differing regulatory environments, distribution systems, tax regimes and consumer preferences, while Uganda’s landlocked position adds logistics costs compared with competitors based in Kenya and Tanzania. At home, Hariss faces competition from established global beverage companies, price-sensitive consumers and rising input costs.
Company officials say the board appointments reflect complementary strengths: Rugamba’s governance and stakeholder-management experience as the company grows in visibility, and Ocitti’s record of building consumer brands and leading large organizations across multiple African markets.