NARO boss Twinamasiko dead
Jan 13, 2014
Dr. Emily Kabushenga Twinamasiko, the director general of the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) has died.
By Ronald Kalyango
Dr. Emily Kabushenga Twinamasiko, the director general of the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) has died.
She was the fourth and the first female director general in the history of NARO, since its inception in 1992.
At the time of her appointment, she has served as the deputy director in the same organization. She replaced Dr. Denis Kyetere who quit his post to head African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Twinamasiko previously worked at the Livestock Health Research Institute in Tororo, where she was programme leader for cattle diseases research. Her research work focused on infectious diseases of farm animals.
She also worked as center manager at Mbarara Agricultural Research and Development Center and later as the acting deputy director general outreach, director research coordination and later acting director general at NARO secretariat in Entebbe.
Twinamasiko held a doctorate of philosophy in livestock economics and planning from the University of Reading in United Kingdom, Master of Science in tropical veterinary science from University of Edinburgh, and Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery from the University of Nairobi.
Twinamasiko was also an accomplished writer with publications in technical journals and books, and conference papers all to her name.
She won distinguished awards, including the first prize for methodologies for reaching farmers at Africa Crop Science Conference in Nairobi, Kenya in 2003.
Twinamasiko was also recognised with a plaque for outstanding female livestock researcher in 2010 and a medal for outstanding contribution to the global control of Rinderpest by Food and Agriculture Organisation in 2011.
She was also a member of African Women Forum for Science and Technology, Water Efficient Maize for Africa project, Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa and African Women Agricultural Research and Development steering committee.