IRA leadership row puts Uganda’s insurance regulator under parliamentary scrutiny

KAMPALA — A leadership dispute at Uganda’s Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA) has stalled a parliamentary examination of the regulator’s accounts, raising fresh questions over governance and accountability at a key state agency.
The Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (COSASE) suspended scrutiny of the Auditor General’s report on the IRA after two officials were presented as occupying the agency’s top executive position.
Dr Protazio Sande appeared before the committee as Acting Chief Executive Officer, while Dr Ibrahim Kaddunabbi Lubega was also presented as Chief Executive Officer, prompting lawmakers to seek clarity over who is legally in charge of the regulator.
COSASE Chairperson Muwada Nkunyingi, the National Unity Platform (NUP) MP for Kyadondo County East, said the committee would seek guidance from the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury on the lawful leadership of the Authority.
The dispute comes as Kaddunabbi challenges the decision not to renew his contract after his five-year tenure expired on May 31, 2026.
The IRA board declined in February to recommend Kaddunabbi for a second term. The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development subsequently appointed Sande as Acting CEO, effective June 1.
But Kaddunabbi went to court, arguing that the board’s decision-making process was procedurally unfair and that he had not been given a proper opportunity to respond to issues raised against him.
The legal challenge has since complicated the transition at the regulator.
Former IRA Board Chairperson Dr Isaac Nkote Nabeta told the parliamentary committee that the board had declined to recommend Kaddunabbi for reappointment. Current Board Chairperson Keto Nyapendi Kayemba said that decision was upheld and Sande was subsequently appointed in an acting capacity.
The High Court has meanwhile issued an injunction preventing the appointment of a substantive Chief Executive Officer while the dispute is being determined. The court has, however, allowed Sande to remain in the acting position pending the outcome of the case.
COSASE has asked to see a copy of the court injunction before proceeding with its examination of the Auditor General’s findings.
The standoff has effectively brought together two separate processes, a court battle over the leadership of the insurance regulator and Parliament’s constitutional responsibility to scrutinise the use and management of public resources.
For lawmakers, establishing who has legal authority to lead the IRA is now a prerequisite to resolving questions arising from the Auditor General’s report.
The development puts the spotlight on the governance of a regulator responsible for overseeing Uganda’s insurance industry, as Parliament seeks to establish whether the Authority’s operations and accountability mechanisms remain properly constituted amid the leadership dispute.
The committee is expected to resume its scrutiny after receiving clarification from the Treasury and reviewing the court order.