By Spy Uganda
Juma Kisaame,55, who was formerly the Managing Director of troubled dfcu bank, is jubilating after he landed a juicy position at the the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).
We have established that Kisame, who is a renowned banker and statistician, was a few days ago appointed Chairperson of the URA Board of Directors, replacing Dr Simon Kagugube, who passed away on February 15, 2020.
However, the public has since been sent into array of mixed reactions on Kisaame’s appointment,some pointing to his previous dubious roles in the banking sector including the controversial acquisition of Crane Bank by dfcu. Kisaame is said to be among those who played controversial roles in acquiring Crane Bank illegally by by dfcu, and therefore giving him such a big role at the tax payers body,URA might as well be interpreted as entrusting a monkey with your yellow bananas, a source said.
“We look forward to leading Uganda’s domestic revenue mobilization agenda under his capable leadership,” URA management said in a statement.
Shortly after his appointed, the Uganda Revenue Authority tweeted thus;
“We are pleased to announce the appointment of the new Chairperson of our Board of Directors , Mr Juma Kisaame.
Congratulations to him from the @URAuganda Family. @URA_CG”
While appearing on his popular talk show ‘One on One with Tamale Mirundi’ on NBS TV this morning, Mirundi said the appointment of Kisaame as their chairman,URA just confirmed what the public has been accusing them of. “When you appoint a man like Kisaame to be your Chairman with alot of credibility questions around his name, you confirm that you needed a man like him to cover up your questionable deeds, because if you appoint a credible man, he might instead open up a pundonor,so you need a man with no credibility at all to cover your thuggery.Yes, birds of the same feather,” Mirundi said as he bunged his medulla oblangata.
Mirundi further said that it was extremely shameful for a man like late Dr.Simon Kagugube with his untainted career to be replaced with tainted Kisaame. “These people (URA) didn’t study logic, how do you convince me that we’re ‘developing Uganda together’ when you water down Kagugube’s legacy by replacing him with Kisaame? Are the two comparable? Can you tell me that of all the 45million Ugandans, that man with questionable integrity is the most qualified to replace a clean man like Kagugube?, No logic,” he said.
An accountant by profession, Kisaame is also a formidable businessman, who served as the dfcu bank Managing Director for several years before he handed over office to Mathias Katamba.
Kisaame graduated from Makerere University with a Bachelors of Commerce degree in 1988 after which he joined Uganda Development Bank in 1988, as a Trainee Accountant.
He worked with UDB until 1992, rising to the position of Senior Accountant, before he left to join dfcu Bank in 1992 as Head of Finance, where he served in different ranks until 2004.
He left dfcu Bank and joined Eurafrican Bank (EAB) Tanzania, where he worked as managing director, before it was acquired by Bank of Africa Tanzania in 2007.
Following the takeover, Kisaame returned to dfcu Bank as managing director, and served in that role until 2019 when he left the bank.
apart from his banking stints, Kisaame has also since 2006 served as a Director on the Board of Jubilee Holdings Limited, the parent company of Jubilee Insurance, on top of being the chairman of Uganda Investment Authority since 2015.
Kisaame is also remembered for having founded the Uganda Leasing Association and served as its President from 2002 until 2006, when his tenure expired.