Museveni looks for new BoU governor

But in 2016 at the requiem mass of former PSST Chris Kasami, President Museveni mentioned Kiiza amongst only four Ugandans who he said had helped him manage the economy.

The other three he thanked were former PSST and Auditor General, who now sits on the BoU board, James Kahooza. The other two were the late Kasami and Mutebile.

Of all these, Kiiza was the most junior. That is why Museveni’s action kicked off protests at Finance. “How could he thank only Kizza?” some senior officials wondered. Insiders say Finance Minister, Matia Kasaija was forced by senior staff at Finance to ask Museveni to recognize the others later at another meeting.

Kasaija waited for the moment and brought the matter before the president at a meeting at State House Nakasero. “Mr. President at Kasami’s requiem mass you only recognized a few people yet many have been working hard,” Kasaija told Museveni.

“Mmmmmm!,” Museveni mumbled before shooting back, “Are you the one who tells me who to recognize?”

Kizza would later leave the Finance Ministry in 2017. Even back then, speculation was that he would be named PSST, Finance Minister, or BoU Governor.

Ating Ego

Ating Ego is little known. But according to some, his work in the high echelons of IMF should count and his experience at the IMF is associated with reform-mindedness. He previously worked as the Executive Director Research at Bank of Uganda.

While others are reading into reports that he is set to depart from the IMF to the Macroeconomic and Financial Management of Eastern and Southern Africa (MEFMI). Others say his appointment would also be seen to break the western stranglehold over the national finance sector.