Who is Patrick Michael Ayota? Flash Uganda Media looks at his biography, age, wife, family, tribe, achievements, and relationship with Dr Richard Byarugaba, Betty Amongi, Matia Kasaija, and the early life and education of the current Managing Director of Uganda’s National Social Security Fund (NSSF)
Patrick Michael Ayota is a Ugandan accountant, business administrator, and corporate executive.
Ayota is the current Managing Director of Uganda’s National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
He is also the Chairman of the New Vision Group, a media conglomerate controlled in part by the Government of Uganda.
Early Life and Education
Patrick Michael Ayota was born on August 26, 1960, in the Tororo District of Uganda’s Eastern Region.
He received his pre-university education at Ugandan schools.
He subsequently studied at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree.
He was later admitted to the University of South Carolina at Columbia, where he earned a Master of Business Administration degree.
Career and Professional Work Experience
He is a Certified Public Accountant with a Forensic Accounting Diploma. He is also a member of the Uganda Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
After finishing his graduate studies, he moved to the Atlanta, Georgia area of the United States. He worked at the Atlanta offices of the Reznick Group, which is now known as CohnReznick, a large international accounting firm.
Patrick Ayota was an active part of the Ugandan community in North America during his time in the United States, serving as Chief Financial Officer of the Ugandan North American Association (UNAA) from 2001 to 2002 and as Chairman of the UNAA Electoral Commission in 2005.
Ayota returned to Uganda in 2007 and accepted a position as Retail Risk Director and Director of Finance at Barclays Bank of Uganda (now Absa Bank Uganda Limited).
Ayota left Barclays Bank in 2010 and was engaged as Chief Finance Officer by the National Social Security Fund of Uganda (NSSF Uganda) in 2011.
In a June 2014 search for new senior management at NSSF Uganda, Ayota received the highest grades for Deputy Managing Director.
However, President Yoweri Museveni hired a new top team, and Ayota remained the institution’s Head of Finance.
In October 2017, Finance Minister Matia Kasaija appointed Ayota as substantive Deputy Managing Director, replacing Ms Geraldine Ssali on the NSSF Board.
He took over the Fund’s strategy function until the end of his five-year contract on October 29, 2022.
He also served as acting CEO/Managing Director of NSSF Uganda from December 2022 and August 2023, succeeding Dr Richard Byarugaba, the former NSSF boss.
Betty Amongi, the Labour Minister, appointed Patrick Ayota as NSSF MD, beginning August 18, 2023. His five-year term as MD/CEO expires in August 2028.
He joined the board of directors of the New Vision Group as a non-executive director in 2016.
Achievements and Awards
Patrick Michael Ayota is a dynamic, competent, and highly driven professional with more than 20 years of experience in Auditing, Financial, Risk, and Strategy Management in fast-paced international and local organisations.
He has a track record of designing and implementing financial and operational controls, as well as developing and executing business initiatives.
The National Social Security Fund, the Company’s second largest stakeholder, nominated Ayota to serve as Board Chairperson at Vision Group.
He also serves as a non-executive director on the board of Housing Finance Bank, Uganda’s mortgage lender, in which NSSF Uganda owns a 50% stake.
Controversies
Despite the fact that the mandatory retirement age is 60, Ayota expressed a readiness to continue serving in accordance with the NSSF Human Resources Policy and Procedures.
As a result, the board renewed Ayota’s contract in December of last year, and he was also named acting managing director until the process of appointing the managing director was completed.
Editor’s Note: Please contact flashugnews@gmail.com if you find any of the content to be inaccurate or outdated.
