Japheth Katto bows out at UBL in style
- Written by Ernest Jjingo
L-R: The new UBL board chairman Jimmy Mugerwa, Prince David Wasajja and Japheth Katto at the event
Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) last Thursday put up a glamorous event as the Kampala Serena hotel as they bid farewell to Japheth Katto, a corporate governance expert and seasoned accountant, whom they fondly refer to as “Chief.
He has been at the helm of the breweries as the board chairperson since 2018. The event was attended by high profile figures in the country’s business, government and diplomatic circles, friends and family as they spent the evening reminiscing about Katto’s remarkable achievements not only as UBL’s board chairperson but in the business community as a whole.
Top employees of the company shared anecdotes of Katto’s time at the company and praised him for leading with humility, putting employees first, and not laying off any worker during the Covid-19 pandemic.
They described him as a mentor, corporate governance guru, a person of high integrity and high repute, a kind, empathetic, and humorous family man. As the evening unfolded, the man of the hour took the microphone to express his gratitude and share his own reflections of the journey.
“It has been a great opportunity for me to lead a board of a company that is a top taxpayer, very progressive, identifies itself with the society, cares for its staff, and has so much impact on society,” he said.
He signed off by encouraging leaders in business to continue investing in people despite the emerging trends in technology and high-level equipment.
During the event, Katto also passed the mantle to the company’s incoming board chair, Jimmy Mugerwa. Hosted by media personality Marcus Kwikiriza, the event saw performances from poets and Janzi band, with guests toasting to Katto’s health and legacy.