By Our Reporter
Uganda Revenue Authority Board Chairman Emmanuel Katongole has thrown in the towel before seeing the first anniversary on the steering wheel of Uganda’s top tax body.
Katongole who was appointed by the former Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Matia Kasaija in March this year took office officially on April 1, 2026. Though the details of his resignation are still scanty, his tenure in office for 6 months has been marred with controversies due to alleged intrigue, infighting and bickering among the top bosses at the tax body.
Being a crisp and prolific businessman who was not used to open disagreements, he has chosen to lead a life free from accusations and counter accusations.
Katongole replaced a seasoned banker Juma Kisaame who had served in the same capacity from March 2020 to March 2026. His appointment at the helm of the board was among other roles to oversee the further growth of the agency responsible for collecting the bulk of Uganda’s domestic revenue, a critical pillar of the government’s effort to fund infrastructure, public services and developmental programs.
However, within the short time he chaired the board, he was either entangled in solving disciplinary issues or reconciling individuals for the smooth running of the agency.
In his last letter in the line of duty, Katongole wrote to the suspended Commissioner for Customs Hajji Asadu Kigozi Kisitu (whose whereabouts are still unknown) on September 15, 2026 he responded to issues the former commissioner had raised in relation to how the board was handling his issue. Asadu was controversially suspended pending investigations and disciplinary action. Katongole’s letter came after the URA Board Secretary Catherine Donovan Kyokunda had written various letters summoning Asadu to scheduled disciplinary hearings at the 19th floor, URA headquarters that kept flopping. Sources at the tax body contend that along the way the board itself got divided and could not pronounce itself to the action against Asadu.
This forced Asadu to write to the Board Members citing substantive irregularities in his matter by poking holes in the investigation process. He revealed that there was coercion and inducement of witnesses, failure to disclose material evidence, compromise of board members, unlawful extraction of electronic data and breach of statutory time limits and waiver of right to discipline among others. His prayer to the URA Board was to commission an independent investigation by external individuals and constitute an independent committee to preside over the disciplinary proceedings, in line with the principles of natural justice and administrative fairness.
However Katongole in his letter dismissed the allegation that some board members had been compromised and duly explained to Asadu that it is within the mandate of the board to discipline and control the officers and staff of the Authority.
In the same letter, the board chair squarely dismissed the allegations of coercion of witnesses and compromise of some board members and guided that as a matter of fair hearing Asadu should with immediate effect be furnished with particulars of the case against him including any witness statements or document the board intends to rely on during the hearing.
The URA Board Chairman who suspected that the Commissioner General could be having a conflict of interest proposed that the latter be excluded from the deliberation and decision on the matter. Though this had been taken lightly, the insiders say it did not go down well with the Commissioner General.
Katongole got concerned and fixed September 22, 2026 as a hearing date. However on the eve of the fixed date, Asadu was reportedly kidnapped and sped away to the unknown destination. His whereabouts are hitherto unknown. The board proceeded and sat at the 19th Floor, URA headquarters but did not take any action about Asadu’s matter since his family members were already crying to the public and police about his disappearance. Ironically in the same meeting, they discussed a matter of another suspended Assistant Commissioner for Compliance James Abola. The board handled the matter carefully and dismissed the officer. They remained stuck on Asadu’s decision.
Earlier it was alleged that though the disciplinary action was scheduled for Asadu, some elements within URA had reportedly hatched a plan to kidnap him, later dump him at the Anti Corruption Court and later push for his interdiction on baseless accusations. According to an insider, this was planned after his perpetrators failed to gather enough evidence to pin him in the disciplinary hearing. These among others are the controversies Katongole faced at URA. He will go down in the records as the shortest serving URA Board Chairman.
Who is Katongole
Emmanuel Katongole (born 27 April 1962), is a Ugandan statistician, economist, businessman, entrepreneur and industrialist. He is the executive chairman of Cipla Quality Chemical Industries Limited (CQCIL), the only company in Sub-Saharan Africa, that is authorized to manufacture triple-combination anti retro-viral drugs.
Since 2014, he has also been the chairman of the Uganda National Oil Company. He attended Namilyango College for his secondary education. He studied at Makerere University, graduating with the degree of Bachelor of Statistics (B.Stat). His Master of Arts in economic policy and planning was also obtained from Makerere University. He has attended numerous other short-term courses in economics, statistics and management, from institutions in Uganda and Europe.
Besides Cipla Quality Chemical Industries Limited (CQCIL), Katongole owns the following businesses either wholly or in part: Vero Food Industries Limited – located at Kampala’s Industrial and Business Park, Namanve, Wakiso District, Tinosoft Limited – an information technology company, located in Kampala.
Katongole is a Rotarian and is a member of the Rotary Club of Muyenga. He was also the district governor for Rotary District 9211, which comprises Tanzania and Uganda. He was also appointed chairperson of the National Response Fund to Covid-19 by the president of Uganda on 8 April 2020.
He was also the chairperson for the installation of the new Archbishop of Kampala, His Grace Dr. Paul Ssemogerere, held on 25 January 2022. Katongole, a staunch Roman Catholic, was in February 2021 named as one of the eight parishioners that were to be conferred the award of papal knighthood.
