MTN Uganda CEO Wim Vanhelleputte has been deported from the country in a further blow to relations between the South African operator group and the Ugandan authorities.
Police spokesman Fred Enanga cited national security concerns as the grounds for Vanhelleputte’s deportation, reported the Financial Times. The Belgian national is the latest in a line of MTN Uganda executives to have been expelled from the country for similar reasons.
However, MTN claimed it “had not been notified of the grounds for the deportation and is working hard to establish precise reasons for the deportation. We are understandably concerned about these developments and are engaging with authorities to seek understanding that would lead us to resolving this matter.”
MTN Uganda has installed its current CTO Gordian Kyomukama as a temporary replacement for Vanhelleputte so that it can continue operations as normal. The South African group is facing woes in other African markets – particularly Nigeria, where it has clashed with the government on a number of issues including tax, user registration, and repatriating funds.
