London, United Kingdom – Early this month, Uganda’s energy sector received global recognition as Eng. Ziria Tibalwa Waako, the Chief Executive Officer of the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), was presented with the prestigious Global Power Women Award during a high-profile ceremony held at the Corinthia London.
The accolade was conferred upon her by Her Excellency, the First Lady of the Bahamas, in recognition of her transformative leadership and pioneering contributions to Africa’s energy landscape.
Organized by the Centre for Economic and Leadership Development (CELD), a non-profit organization with special consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC), the event spotlighted outstanding women from across the globe.
The award is the latest in a string of honors recognizing Eng. Waako’s extensive service and influence in the electricity sector. On 1st May 2023, the President of the Republic of Uganda, H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, awarded her the Crested Crane Medal—one of the nation’s highest civilian honors—during International Labour Day celebrations in Namutumba District.
The President’s medal acknowledged her exceptional contributions to the development and regulation of Uganda’s electricity supply industry.
Since her appointment in March 2017, Eng. Waako has steered the Electricity Regulatory Authority with a visionary approach that has earned both national and continental acclaim.
Under her leadership, Uganda has consistently ranked first on the African Development Bank’s Electricity Regulatory Index (ERI) for five consecutive years—2018 through 2022—affirming ERA’s status as a model regulator on the continent.
A trailblazer in her field, Eng. Waako began her career with the Uganda Electricity Board (UEB), where she was among the first engineers to operate Uganda’s computerized Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. Following the unbundling of UEB, she played instrumental roles at the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited, progressing through positions from Operational Planning Engineer to Principal Planning Engineer.
She notably led the design of critical regional interconnection projects, including the Mbarara–Nkenda–Hoima line and the Uganda–Kenya and Uganda–Rwanda transmission links.
As Director of Technical Regulation at ERA prior to becoming CEO, she oversaw compliance and performance standards for energy licensees. She also led the successful implementation of the Global Energy Transfer for Feed-in Tariff (GET FiT) program from 2012 to 2021, which added 150 MW of renewable energy to Uganda’s grid, expanded access to clean power, and mitigated load-shedding.
Eng. Waako holds both Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering from Makerere University, and a Master of Business Administration in Leadership from Walden University, USA.
She is a Registered Engineer with the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers (UIPE) and the National Engineers Registration Board, and a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), New York.
In addition to her national responsibilities, Eng. Waako currently chairs the Independent Regulatory Board of the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP), having secured Uganda as the host of the Secretariat in 2023.
She also serves as Chairperson of the Energy Committee of the African Forum for Utility Regulators, reflecting continent-wide recognition of her leadership and regulatory excellence.
Eng. Waako’s latest international honor not only cements her position as one of Africa’s leading energy professionals, but also reinforces Uganda’s growing influence in the global energy regulatory arena. Her career remains a benchmark of technical expertise, visionary leadership, and commitment to sustainable development in line with Sustainable Development Goal 7—universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy.
