Career Biography

Dickson Bakkabulindi Kawooya is an accomplished banking and corporate lawyer with over a decade of experience in legal advisory, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, company secretarial practice, and complex financial transactions within the financial services sector. 

As Legal Manager at Ecobank Uganda Limited, Dickson serves as a key strategic advisor to the Board of Directors, Executive Management, and business teams on a broad range of legal, regulatory, governance, and commercial matters. He has played a pivotal role in strengthening the institution’s governance framework, supporting regulatory engagement, mitigating legal and operational risk, and enabling business growth through the provision of practical and commercially focused legal advice. 

Between 2022 and June 2026, Dickson additionally served as Acting Head of Legal and Company Secretary, where he was responsible for advising the Board and its Committees on corporate governance matters, overseeing compliance with regulatory requirements, coordinating Board affairs, and supporting strategic decision-making at the highest level of the institution. During this period, he contributed significantly to governance reforms, board succession planning initiatives, director onboarding program, policy enhancement projects, and strengthened stakeholder engagement with regulators and other key market participants. 

Dickson has advised on a wide range of high-value and strategically important transactions, including structured financing arrangements, treasury and capital markets transactions, cross-border financing structures, government-related facilities, security perfection matters, and complex contractual negotiations. His work has involved extensive engagement with financial institutions, regulators, external counsel, government entities, and multinational stakeholders to deliver commercially sound and legally robust outcomes. 

Prior to joining Ecobank Uganda, Dickson served as Legal Manager and Company Secretary at Exim Bank Uganda Limited, where he was responsible for legal risk management, corporate governance, litigation management, contract negotiations, and Company Secretarial functions. His experience across multiple banking institutions has equipped him with a deep understanding of the legal and regulatory environment governing the financial services sector in Uganda and the broader East African region. 

A strong advocate of good corporate governance, Dickson is passionate about building resilient institutions through effective governance structures, sound risk management practices, regulatory compliance, and ethical leadership. He is recognised by colleagues and stakeholders for his strategic thinking, attention to detail, ability to navigate complex legal issues, and commitment to delivering practical solutions aligned with business objectives. 

Dickson holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Uganda Christian University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre, Uganda. He is an Advocate of the Courts of Judicature of Uganda and a member of the Uganda Law Society and the East Africa Law Society. 

Through his leadership and contribution to the banking sector, Dickson continues to champion the evolving role of in-house counsel as a trusted business partner, governance advisor, and strategic enabler of sustainable growth and institutional excellence.