Former National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Managing Director and CEO Richard Byarugaba has been appointed Senior Presidential Advisor on Exports and Industrial Development, marking his return to public service at a strategic level.
President Yoweri Museveni also named Moses Sabiti to the same advisory role as government intensifies efforts to grow exports and strengthen industrial development.
Byarugaba brings decades of experience in finance, banking and investment management. He led NSSF from 2017 to 2022, a period widely credited with strong growth in the Fund’s assets and reforms that expanded pension coverage to millions of Ugandans.
Before joining NSSF, Byarugaba built a long banking career that began at Standard Chartered Bank Uganda in 1983 and later included senior executive roles in London, Nile Bank Limited, Barclays Bank Uganda and Global Trust Bank Uganda. Beyond executive management, he has played key governance roles, including serving as Board Chair of the Uganda Securities Exchange. Since August 2025, he has also been Chairman of Old Mutual Investment Group Uganda.
Byarugaba holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Statistics and Economics from Makerere University, is a chartered accountant and a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA), with additional advanced training in management and investment analysis.
His co-appointee, Moses Sabiti, is a specialist in trade facilitation, export logistics and regional integration. He previously served as Country Director for TradeMark East Africa (TMEA), overseeing programmes in Uganda and South Sudan aimed at improving trade efficiency and competitiveness.
Sabiti has more than 20 years of experience working on customs modernisation, trade procedures, logistics reforms and regional integration initiatives across East Africa. Earlier in his career, he worked at the Uganda Revenue Authority, where he contributed to reforms that improved customs operations and revenue collection.
He holds a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Public Administration and Management, and a Bachelor of Arts in Management, alongside specialised qualifications in international trade. Sabiti is also involved in entrepreneurship and farming and serves on various advisory platforms linking the public and private sectors in export development.
According to President Museveni’s directive, Byarugaba and Sabiti will support the exports secretariat in implementing national export strategies. Their work will focus on expanding Uganda’s global trade footprint, strengthening export financing and infrastructure, improving trade data systems, and driving the export growth targets set by the presidency.
