TIRI MASAWI
The winds that once lifted Namibia’s green hydrogen ambitions now seem to be shifting. In just two months, three senior executives have walked out of the Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme, leaving behind a project that once promised an industrial revolution, and now sits in a cloud of uncertainty.
When the government under former president Hage Geingob unveiled the Green Industrialisation Blueprint between 2022 and 2023, the numbers were bold. Up to 250 000 jobs were projected. Wind and solar farms, pipelines, and electrolyser assembly lines were expected to create 185 000 direct jobs.
Another 70 000 jobs were expected to be created from spin-off sectors such concrete, metals, and business services. Namibia, officials said, would ride a new energy wave into a greener future.
But momentum has slowed, and the cracks are starting to show.
Last month, Namibia Business Review revealed that the programme was struggling to pay salaries. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah herself called the situation “unfortunate.”
Now, a quiet exodus is underway.
Programme Head James Mnyupe stepped down on 1 November 2025 after becoming the first-ever Green Hydrogen Commissioner, a role that placed him at the forefront of Namibia’s global energy pitch. He left to take up a major position as Senior Vice President for Sub-Saharan Africa at thyssenkrupp Uhde. His resignation came amid swirling reports of internal tensions and political interference.
Soon after, Legal Services Manager Roswitha Gomachas also left, departing in early November with little public explanation.
And now, the programme is set to lose its head of technical and construction, Theopolina Kapani, who is expected to leave this month.
Kapani, a seasoned civil engineer and project finance advisor, was among the most sought-after skill sets when the programme was established in 2023. The programme credited her for her diverse skills encompassing structural design, infrastructure asset management, infrastructure finance, and heavy civil works within the oil and gas industry and transportation engineering.
She is also an expert advisor in public-private partnerships for large-scale infrastructure projects, spanning transportation, energy, and ICT infrastructure.
Kapani’s departure now adds to a growing sense that the programme is drifting at a critical moment right when the government is yet to announce whether or not it will start funding the programme after donor money dried up.
MAPPING THE WAY FORWARD
A source told Namibia Business Review that senior government officials, who have direct interaction with the programme were set to meet with the senior management on Friday but the meeting was postponed. The meeting which was expected to chart a way forward on the operations and financial future of the programme is now set for this week.
“There is not much of a change in the funding situation of the programme. There is an expected meeting between government officials and the team to map the way forward. This meeting will also make key decisions on how things shape going forward,” the source said.
The departure of the senior staff members coincides with a challenging financial situation at the Namibia Green Hydrogen Programme is reportedly struggling to pay its staff as severe funding challenges threaten its future.
Since its launch in 2023, the programme has primarily relied on grants from development partners, including N$800 million (around €40 million) from Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research, and additional support from the Dutch Government through Invest International. These funds supported pilot plants, scholarships, Namibia’s first green hydrogen bus, and the development of a national green hydrogen strategy.
Two weeks ago Presidential Press Secretary Jonas Mbambo told the Namibia Business Review that the government has not yet decided how-or-if it will fund the programme beyond its initial grant.
“Her Excellency the President is aware of the situation, and it is indeed very unfortunate. At this stage, no decision has been taken on whether the government will take over the funding of the programme,” he said. Mbambo said the government is currently managing several competing priorities across different sectors.
“But this does not in any way diminish the importance of the Green Hydrogen Programme to our national development agenda,” he said.
The programme currently employs nine senior staff, following the departures of its former green hydrogen commissioner James Mnyupe, and Legal Manager Services Roswitha Gomachas earlier this month, along with six additional non-managerial staff.
Mbambo said “The President will consult the relevant stakeholders to determine the most appropriate way forward. We appreciate your patience and understanding as these discussions progress.”
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