Fred Kabanda replaces Rubondo as PAU Executive Director

KAMPALA — A veteran petroleum regulator who helped shape Uganda’s oil laws and regulatory framework is returning to the sector to lead the country’s petroleum regulator as Uganda prepares to start commercial crude oil production.

Fred Kabanda, who currently heads the Extractives Division at the African Development Bank (AfDB), has been appointed Executive Director of the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU).

His appointment, announced by the PAU Board on Wednesday, comes at a critical juncture for Uganda’s oil industry as the country moves from petroleum development and construction to production, transportation and export.

Mr Kabanda will assume office on December 1, 2026, after completing the recruitment and onboarding process, according to a statement by PAU Board chairperson Lynda Biribonwa.

He succeeds Ernest Rubondo, who completed his second five-year term as Executive Director on August 31, having led the Authority since its establishment.

Mr Kabanda and Mr Rubondo had competed for the top PAU job about a decade ago when the regulator was being established.

Mr Otonga Michael Ochan, who has been serving as acting Executive Director since Mr Rubondo’s departure, will remain in the position until Mr Kabanda takes over.

Returning to a sector he helped build

Mr Kabanda brings more than 30 years of experience in petroleum regulation, policy development and extractives governance.

Before joining the AfDB, he held several technical and leadership positions at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, eventually becoming Assistant Commissioner and head of the Regulatory Unit in the Petroleum Exploration and Production Department.

The PAU said he was involved in developing key petroleum laws and policies, including the National Oil and Gas Policy of 2008.

He also supported the transfer of petroleum regulatory functions from the ministry to the newly created PAU.

His experience spans petroleum licensing, field development, regulatory oversight, contract negotiations and extractives governance.

At the AfDB, Mr Kabanda has provided strategic leadership and policy advice on oil, gas and mining development across Africa.

The PAU described him as one of the architects of Uganda’s petroleum policy, legal and regulatory framework.

His return therefore marks a full-circle moment for a sector whose regulatory architecture he helped establish and which he will now oversee as its chief executive.

From regulation to production

Mr Kabanda takes charge as Uganda approaches what is expected to be the most consequential phase of its petroleum industry — commercial production.

The Tilenga and Kingfisher projects are being developed alongside the 1,443-kilometre East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), which will transport Uganda’s crude from Kabaale in Hoima to the port of Tanga in Tanzania for export.

The transition means PAU’s responsibilities will increasingly focus on regulating actual production, crude transportation, health, safety and environmental compliance, as well as ensuring that petroleum resources are developed in accordance with Ugandan law.

The Authority is also expected to play a central role in ensuring that the country derives broader economic benefits from its petroleum resources while maintaining regulatory oversight of companies operating in the sector.

Ms Biribonwa said the Board looks forward to working with Mr Kabanda as he takes on the leadership of the Authority.

The PAU said it remains committed to its mandate of supporting the sustainable development of Uganda’s petroleum resources and contributing to the country’s socio-economic transformation.

Education

Mr Kabanda holds a Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Geology and Chemistry from Makerere University.

His appointment comes as Uganda prepares to move from years of exploration, appraisal and infrastructure development into the production and commercialisation of its crude oil.

For Mr Kabanda, it is a return to a sector he helped regulate and shape — this time with responsibility for steering its regulator into Uganda’s oil-producing era.