By Rogers Wanambwa 

KIU, Main Campus – MTN Uganda, this week, appointed Safaricom’s Chief Consumer Business Officer, Sylvia Mulinge, as its new chief executive officer, effective October 1.

Mulinge replaces Wim Vanhelleputte, who has been promoted to a regional role as operating executive for the West and Central African Markets of Liberia, Guinea-Conakry, Guinea-Bissau, and Congo-Brazzaville within the MTN Group.

Andrew Bugembe, the current Chief Financial Officer, will take a short stint as the Chief Executive Officer effective August 1 to September 30 as Vanhelleputte assumes the new role next month. 

Mulinge failed to take up the Vodacom Tanzania lead in 2018 after the Tanzanian government refused to issue her a work permit.

Within Safaricom, which she joined in 2007, Mulinge has occupied various senior roles, including head of retail, head of sales, and director of consumer business.

She graduated from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree.

Mulinge joins MTN Uganda at the time the company is reporting incredible growth both in terms of revenue and customer subscribers.

MTN Uganda, which listed on Uganda Securities Exchange last year through an initial public offering, recorded a 5.8% growth in net profit to UGX340.4billion for the year ended December 2021 on the back of a nearly 11% growth in subscribers to 15.7million.

The company’s license was renewed for 12 years in July 2020 for $100 million on the condition that it lists at least 20% of its shares on the USE.