Tullow Oil Uganda names new general manager

Tullow Oil Uganda has picked Jimmy Mugerwa, former chairman Shell Kenya, as its new General Manager. Mugerwa is the first Ugandan to take over the oil company’s top managerial role. He is replacing Eoin Mekie. Mugerwa was also Shell East Africa’s General Manager of Sales and Operations. He will assume office on October 1. 

Mr Mugerwa,

Mugerwa had been based in Nairobi overseeing Shell’s operations where he quit after the Royal Dutch Shell sold out to Vitol Holdings BV and Helios Investment. He has been one of the senior executives at Shell Africa operations with over 20 years of oil industry experience across government relations, sales, operations and marketing.

Analysts say Mugerwa’s rise to head Tullow Oil Uganda is a first for the oil sector to yield to indigenization as demanded by the government of Uganda. This will exert some pressure on the other oil companies like CNOOC and Total to do the same.

A statement from Tullow Oil Uganda said the new General Manager will be accountable for the delivery of Tullow's work programme and maintaining relations with the Ugandan government as well as its partners CNOOC and Total. 

By Mubatsi Asinja Habati

Press release

Tullow Oil Uganda appoints new General Manager

25th June 2012 – Tullow Oil is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Jimmy D. Mugerwa as General Manager of Tullow Uganda Operations Pty Ltd and Tullow Uganda Limited. Mr. Mugerwa joins Tullow Uganda from Shell’s East Africa business where he was most recently General Manager of Sales & Operations and Shell’s Kenya Country Chairman, a position he has held since October 2009. Prior to this, Mr. Mugerwa held a number of managerial positions within Shell’s business across Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda and the Netherlands. 


Mr. Mugerwa will be accountable for the delivery of Tullow’s Uganda work programme and the forthcoming Lake Albert Basin Development Plan together with the Government of Uganda and Tullow’s partners, CNOOC and Total.


Mr. Eoin Mekie will remain General Manager of Tullow in Uganda until Mr. Mugerwa officially assumes his new position on 1 October 2012, following which there will be a hand over period.

Mr. Mekie has led Tullow’s Ugandan based organisation through the recent farm down process with CNOOC and Total and has been instrumental in supporting the transition from a predominately exploration driven company to a new phase which will see the development and construction of one of the largest energy projects in East Africa. 


Commenting today, Martyn Morris, Regional Business Manager South & East Africa said:

“I am very pleased to welcome Jimmy Mugerwa to Tullow Oil at a time when Uganda and the partners within the Lake Albert Basin are about to embark on a major oil development which will see Uganda enter the league of oil producing nations. I would also like to extend my sincere thanks to Eoin Mekie for his commitment and leadership over the past year.”