Africa-Press – Uganda. Finance Minister Matia Kasaija has challenged the newly inaugurated National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) to build on recent reforms and further align the sector’s growth with Uganda’s broader development and revenue mobilisation goals.
While officiating at the official handover ceremony in Kampala, Kasaija praised the outgoing Board for transforming the gaming industry from a chaotic and poorly regulated space into a credible, transparent, and revenue-generating sector.
He urged the new team to maintain that momentum, particularly in areas of digital oversight, fiscal contribution, and public safety.
“This Board brings together regulatory, legal, enforcement, governance, and sports leadership expertise. It is precisely the kind of board we need to steer this complex and fast-evolving sector,” Kasaija said while welcoming the new Board led by Kenneth Kitariko.
He cited key achievements by the outgoing team, including a sixfold increase in annual revenue from Shs 50.6 billion in the 2019/20 financial year to Shs 323 billion by June 2025.
The sector also experienced a sharp rise in turnover from Shs 500 billion in 2021/22 to Shs 8 trillion by the end of the 2024/25 financial year.
The Board successfully rolled out the National Central Electronic Monitoring System (NCEMS), formalised previously illegal operators, appointed Ithuba Uganda Limited as the national lottery operator, and expanded regional offices to Gulu, Mbale, and Mbarara.
“Together with CEO Mr. Denis Mudene Ngabirano and the Secretariat, you have driven a transformation that has reshaped the gaming sector,” Kasaija said.
“The outgoing Board was entrusted with a responsibility to transform the gaming sector. They did not just preserve the status quo, they improved, multiplied, and grew the institution and its outcomes. Thank you for your integrity, diligence, and patriotism.”
The incoming Board, chaired by Mr. Kitariko, includes professionals with backgrounds in financial markets, law enforcement, legal and tax policy, public sector planning, and sports governance.
The team’s composition is expected to enhance compliance, public accountability, and responsible betting, especially in the sports sector.
Speaking on behalf of the new Board, Mr. Kitariko pledged a leadership approach rooted in strategy, openness, and national service.
“Together, Honourable Minister, we step into a new chapter one that requires courage, focus, and unrelenting commitment to strategy execution,” Kitariko said.
“As incoming Chair, I want to reaffirm my open-door policy. I believe that the best results in any institution are achieved through dialogue, mutual respect and collective ownership of our market. I’m here to listen, to support, and to ensure that we remain on course regulating with integrity, expanding our fiscal contribution, and safeguarding the Ugandan from the adverse effects of gaming.”
He also commended the outgoing Board for its performance and highlighted the critical role of CEO Denis Mudene Ngabirano.
“I’m especially grateful to be working alongside our CEO, Mr. Denis Mudene Ngabirano, whose operational leadership has been pivotal in translating the Board’s vision into results. Denis, I thank you and your team for the professionalism and dedication you have demonstrated, and I look forward to a productive, open partnership,” he said.
Outgoing Board Chairperson Mr. Aloysius Mugasa Adyeri expressed satisfaction with the progress made under his tenure and optimism for the future of the NLGRB.
“As I step down from this role, I carry with me not only the satisfaction of what we have achieved but also great optimism for what lies ahead. I remain confident that the NLGRB will continue to grow stronger and more impactful in the years to come,” Adyeri said.
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