Uganda’s currency notes will finally have a new signature after president Yoweri Museveni appointed the new governor for Bank of Uganda, three years after the position fell vacant.
This was confirmed by the president’s deputy spokesperson, Faruk Kirunda in a short message published on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday.
“I wish to confirm that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, as the appointing authority, has named Mr. Michael Atingi-Ego, former deputy governor, Bank of Uganda as the new Governor,” Kirunda noted.
Kirunda said Prof. Augustus Nuwagaba, a renowned economist at the country’s biggest public institute, Makerere University, had been appointed deputy governor.
The position of the governor fell vacant in 2022 after then office holder Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile died.
Before his appointment as Bank of Uganda governor, Atingi-Ego, an international economist, had been working as deputy governor, a position he occupied since 2020.
Subsequently, the two officials were successfully vetted by members of the Parliament Appointments Committee.
Who is Dr Michael Atingi-Ego?
Dr Atingi-Ego, who comes from the eastern Uganda city of Soroti, previously served as the MEFMI Executive Director, a policy think-tank in Southern Africa. The seasoned economic policy official served in several capacities at various institutions.
He got his first degree from Makerere University and later did post graduate studies in the United Kingdom where he got a master’s degree from the Cardiff Business School, University of Wales and a PhD from Liverpool University.
His career started at the Bank of Uganda, rising through the ranks to become the Executive Director, Research. However, in 2008 he took up an assignment with the International Monetary Fund as Deputy Director of the African Department.
Who is Prof Augustus Nuwagaba?
He was born in 1964 in Kabale Municipality in the Western Region of Uganda. In 1986, he entered Makerere University faculty of Social Sciences and graduated in 1989. Later he joined the London School of Economics and graduated with the degree of Master of Science.
Nuwagaba returned to Makerere University where he got the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. His field of specialization for his doctorate degree was Economics.
He also holds the degree of Master of Business Administration from the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute.
Prof Nuwagaba has been a member of the teaching staff at Makerere University, since early 2000s.
He also serves as the Managing Consultant at Reev Consult International Limited, a private consultancy firm, incorporated in Uganda in 2000.