MTN Appoints a New CEO

MTN Uganda, the largest telecom company in the country, has appointed Sylvia Mulinge as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective September 30, 2022.

She will replace Wim Vanhelleputte, who has been promoted to the position of operating executive for the WECA Markets of Liberia, Guinea-Conakry, Guinea-Bissau, and Congo-Brazzaville within the MTN Group.

But in the interim, Andrew Bugembe, the current MTN Uganda chief financial officer, has been appointed as acting CEO effective August 1, 2022, until September 30, 2022.

Mulinge, a Kenyan aged 45, is currently serving as Safaricom’s chief consumer business officer and her last working day is September 30, 2022, New Vision learnt on Thursday, June 30.

Safaricom’s CEO Peter Ndegwa announced this development to the staff, noting that Mulinge was instrumental in setting up two key businesses in Safaricom, Enterprise and Fixed Data.

He said she joined Safaricom in 2006 and has held various senior roles, including general manager enterprise business unit and director consumer business unit, before assuming the role of chief consumer business officer in 2018.

“A champion of digital transformation, Sylvia is a purpose-led and impact driven business leader,” he added.

MTN Uganda accounted for 55% market share, as of June 30, 2017. By December 31, 2019, its customer base had increased to 12.6 million customers.