Ms. Samantha Muhwezi Kassami
Chief Operating Officer
Samantha is an oil and gas professional with hands-on experience in the sector. She holds a Bachelor of Laws from the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE), a Postgraduate Diploma, and a Master of Laws from BPP University London UK. She is a solicitor qualified to practice in England and Wales and a member of the Law Society, London UK. She trained, qualified, and practiced at Linklaters LLP, a Magic Circle law firm.
She joined TotalEnergies S.E. in 2016 as part of their three-person pipeline project team and led the negotiations for the pipeline and worked on all aspects to lead the EACOP Project to a Final Investment Decision in 2022. Ms. Muhwezi has broad technical and managerial experience across all aspects of oil and gas and an intrinsic understanding of its framework and processes.
She was part of the senior leadership TotalEnergies seconded to EACOP, to establish it as a reputable company, together with the parallel objective of delivering the project. Ms. Muhwezi was EACOP’s Legal Director and Company Secretary, responsible for the implementation of the agreed legal framework for the EACOP in Uganda and Tanzania (Host Government Agreements, Shareholders Agreement, Tariff & Transportation Agreement) and ensuring compliance with all applicable laws to EACOP and its activities. As Legal Director, she was responsible for the management of the legal function to ensure the provision of, high quality, commercial and operational legal services to the EACOP Company and Project. As Company Secretary, she was responsible for the governance and administration of the EACOP Company.
Ms Muhwezi established the EACOP Women’s Initiative, a community-led initiative in EACOP to provide a space and platform for women to network, receive and give mentorship, among other achievements.
As one of the lead negotiators for the framework agreements underpinning Uganda’s nascent oil and gas industry, Ms. Muhwezi brings hands-on experience, pragmatism, and a balanced approach to securing Uganda’s short-term and long-term interests in the sector.