The Confederation of Uganda Tourism Associations, at its 7th Annual General Meeting held on 20th June 2024 voted into office, a new Board composed of nine members including the President, Vice President, General Secretary and Treasurer.
COUTA is the umbrella association that brings together all tourism associations in Uganda. It exists to build a professional build a professional, competitive, thriving and inclusive tourism sector for our member organisations, and sustainably contribute to the National Development Goals Uganda.
The new president is Yewagnesh Biriggwa (Yogi) who replaces Herbert Byaruhanga. She will be deputised by Isa Kato as Vice President, while the General Secretary is Peter Mwanja and the Treasurer is Ms. Monalisa Aman.
Five board members were also elected to the board. They are Jacqueline Kemirembe, the Chairperson of the Association of Uganda Women in Tourism Trade (AUWOTT); Peter Kaggwa, the Chairman of the Uganda Association of Conference and Incentive Industry (UACII), as well as Azhar Jaffar, a Board member, of the Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA).
Others are Brian Tuhaise, the General Secretary of the Uganda Safari Guides Association (USAGA) and Evans Seruganya, the Vice Chairperson of the National Arts and Cultural Crafts Association of Uganda (NACCAU).
The new Board will serve a term of two years.
Commenting about the new leadership, Herbert Byaruhanga, the outgoing President expressed confidence in the new Board, under the leadership of Yogi.
“I am confident that under her guidance, the organisation will continue to flourish,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Over 150 years of combined tourism industry experience⏤ meet the new COUTA Board
Yewagnesh Biriggwa (Yogi)
President
Yogi, brings over 25 years of experience in hospitality and aviation business as a manager, consultant and entrepreneur.
She was the South African Airways (SAA) Country Manager for Uganda, for 15 years and General Manager for United Airlines for 5 years. She also served as a consultant for the African Union in restructuring its travel department for 1 year.
She owns and runs Nature’s Green Beach Resort by the shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda.
She has rich board and governance experience and has served or is currently serving on the boards of the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC), Uganda Hotel Owners Association (UHOA), the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), Africa Tourism Board and the Uganda National Chamber of Commerce (UNCC).
She is also the Chairperson of the Uganda Aviation Academy and a Senior Advisor of the Association of Ugandan Women in Tourism (AUWOTT).
She holds a Master’s Degree in Management from the Uganda Management Institute (UMI) amongst many other qualifications.
Isa Kato
Vice President
Isa Kato is currently the Executive Director of Great Lakes Tourism Institute and the Managing Director of Pristine Tours Ltd, a company he founded after many years of working in the tourism industry with different companies in different capacities.
He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Cavendish University UK as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Tourism Management from Makerere University. He also holds a Diploma in Hospitality Management from Giorgio’s Finishing School – India and an Airline Cabin Crew diploma from Career in Travel – London.
Isa Kato is a trainer of Tourist Guides with the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT) under the Ministry of Education and is an avid birder and among Uganda’s few skilled bird guides.
He also sits on the Board of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) whose mandate is to uphold the commendable reputation of Uganda as a tourist destination by ensuring that member tour operators maintain the highest standards of service and value. He also doubles as the chairman of the AUTO Marketing Committee which oversees expo participation and the promotion of Destination Uganda.
Monalisa Aman
Treasurer
Ms. Monalisa Aman has nearly two decades of travel industry experience.
Monalisa Aman is a certified travel manager and advisor with a demonstrated history of working in the leisure, travel & tourism industry. She possesses solid marketing and sales knowledge in the tourism industry with hands-on experience in budgeting, corporate travel management, VIP and leisure travel, tour management, and hospitality industry operations.
Over and above her COUTA roles, she is also the Treasurer at the Ugandan Association of Travel Agents (TUGATA).
She is also, the Manager – Sales and Marketing / Operations at Globetrotters Travel & Tours ⏤ a Ugandan wholesale tour operator specialising in group and individual travel.
She amongst other qualifications, holds a Master’s degree in IT from Uganda Martyrs University, Nkozi.
Peter Mwanja
General Secretary
Peter is an accomplished entrepreneur, Incentive travel specialist and the founder of Umoja Motherland Tours (DMC) and Lasta Events (PCO), one of Uganda’s leading MICE outfits.
He joined the tourism industry in the early 2000s. With a proven track record in executing Conferences and incentive travels, as well as an unwavering commitment to transforming the MICE and Safari sectors in Uganda, Peter has propelled Incentive travel to the forefront of Uganda as a destination.
Peter is a Certified Incentive Specialist (CIS) and sits on several boards including the Association of Uganda Travel Operators (AUTO) where he is the Treasurer and SITE – Society for Incentive Travel Excellence where he represents the East and Central Africa region.
He also sits on the board of UACII – Uganda Association of Conference and Incentive Industry as the Treasurer.
He recently co-chaired the National Organising Committee (NOC) of the hugely acclaimed Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) 2024.
Jacqueline Kemirembe
Board Member
J a c q u e l i n e K e m i r e m b e is the Managing Director of Platinum Tours & Travel ⏤ an outbound and inbound travel advisory and management firm. She founded and has run the firm since 2002.
She brings to the COUTA Board more than two decades of experience in the business.
An IATA-certified professional, she started her career in the aviation industry as the Operations and Reservations Supervisor with Brussels Airlines (SABENA Airlines).
She later joined Kenya Airways in the reservations and ticketing unit before joining DAS Handling Limited (Dairo Air Services) at Entebbe International Airport as the pioneering Customer Service Manager.
In 2002, she founded Platinum Tours & Travel.
J a c q u e l i n e was in April 2024 elected as the new Chairperson of the Association of Uganda Women in Tourism Trade (AUWOTT). Prior to that, she was the AUWOTT’s Treasurer.
Peter Kaggwa
Board Member
Peter Kagwa is a marketing communications professional and a special events architect.
He is the current Chairman of the Events Association of Uganda, as well as the Uganda Association of Conference and Incentive Industry (UACII). He is also the President of the International Festivals and Events Association- Africa Chapter ( IFEA – Africa ).
Peter is also the Founder and Managing Director of Events Warehouse Uganda, a pioneering agency in the events, experiential marketing and MICE/business tourism industry in Uganda. He has been the team leader for some of the most outstanding events and brand-building campaigns in Uganda and the region for Governments, NGOs, and local and multinational agencies.
He has represented several international agencies locally from the UK, Dubai and South Africa in the execution of their campaigns in Uganda and the region. Peter led the events team that set up the Uganda Stall at the 2020 Dubai Expo, and has organised Uganda Business Forums in Dubai and Tanzania.
Peter has played a pivotal role in developing the MICE/business events tourism products in Uganda including local and international conferences and exhibitions, group incentive travels, concerts, shows and festivals. Peter was part of the teams that designed and developed properties such as the Kampala City Festival, the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo, and the Vision Bride and Groom Expo to mention but a few.
He was also part of the Gifted by Nature national branding campaign and is proud to have been part of the Explore Uganda Destination Uganda brand launch execution.
Over the last 14 years, Peter has joined the Uganda Tourism Board to market Uganda at international Expos and fairs in Spain, Germany and South Africa and has been pivotal in supporting UTB, by leading the private sector MICE players under UACII, in setting up the Uganda Convention Bureau, as Uganda strategically positions itself to attract world-class Conventions, exhibitions, festivals and events.
Under his leadership, UACII recently signed a collaboration agreement with SACIA / CEPA South Africa to set events industry standards through a skilling programme, which will raise the profile of Uganda as a destination of choice for MICE events.
Peter is also a past Governing Council member of the Public Relations Association of Uganda ( PRAU) and a proud Rotarian. He continues to lead Rotarians in Uganda and Tanzania ( D9214) in service to humanity.
Azhar Jaffer
Board Member
Jaffer is an Entrepreneur – CEO, Managing Director, Consultant
He is the Managing Director of the Sambiya River Lodge, Murchison Falls National Park, the CEO Coco Beach Club and the Managing Director of Fairway Hotel & Spa in Kampala.
He describes himself as a “dynamic, results-driven professional with several years’ experience in hospitality management, brand development, and customer journey improvement”.
He also describes himself as a “highly skilled communicator recognised for his ability to build rapport with team members at all levels of an organisation while promoting and maintaining a culture of success that encourages team building and growth”.
He holds a B.Com (Finance 7 Accounting) from McGill University in Canada and an International MBA from the IE Business School in Spain. He has also completed the Seed Program from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Brian Tuhaise
Board Member
Brian Tuhaise is a licenced professional Tourist Guide, Tourist Guides Assessor and Trainer, and Ornithologist, who has practical hands-on bird watching, culture, and wildlife.
He is also a tour operator and represents the Uganda Safari Guides Association (USAGA) on the COUTA Board.
Brian not only loves bird watching, photography, adventure, meeting new friends, and creating memorable experiences but is also interested in social and national development transformation.
He is the Founder and CEO of Ceryle Tours.
Evans Seruganya
Board Member
the Vice Chairperson of the National Arts and Cultural Crafts Association of Uganda (NACCAU).
Currently serving as Vice Chairperson at the National Arts and Cultural Crafts Association of Uganda (NACCAU) and the Founder/Chairperson of the Uganda National Arts and Crafts Community Circle (UNACCC), Evans Seruganya describes himself as a a “champion of arts, culture, and community development”.
Evans Seruganya stands at the forefront of Uganda’s cultural renaissance, wielding over two decades of dedicated leadership in arts and cultural crafts. His career has been marked by a profound commitment to preserving heritage, empowering artisans, and driving sustainable community development.
His strategic leadership at NACCAU since 2008 has been pivotal, where he orchestrates initiatives that promote cultural preservation and foster local artisan empowerment.
As Founder of UNACCC in 2007, Evans has not only expanded its membership to 85 passionate individuals but has also overseen assets including a substantial SACCO valued at UGX300 million and valuable land holdings.
Evans’ strategic planning acumen extends beyond organisational boundaries. During his tenure as Manager of the Craft Businesses at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) from 2003 to 2010, he pioneered initiatives that significantly boosted revenue and enhanced the visibility of local crafts. His role as Maintenance Officer at Uganda Small Scale Industries Association (USSIA) earlier in his career further underscored his ability to ensure operational efficiency and safety compliance.
A graduate of Makerere University Kampala with a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, Evans combines academic rigour with practical leadership skills. His competencies span leadership and governance, community development, arts and cultural crafts expertise, strategic planning, project management, and team leadership.