Uganda’s Gonza elected to global surveying body's board

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Ugandan surveyor, Alozius Gonza, has been elected to represent the Africa region on the management board of the Commonwealth Association for Survey and Land Economy (CASLE).

Gonza is the president of the Institution of Surveyors of Uganda (ISU) and one of New Vision’s TOP 40 UNDER 40 achievers. He was elected president of the Africa region at CASLE’s 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM) in November, making him the first Ugandan to hold this prestigious office at a continental level. He will begin this new role in 2025, as his current two-year term as ISU president expires in April 2025.

As president of Africa, Gonza will work with several partners to emphasise the enhancement of sustainable survey and land management skills in developing countries, providing professional education and capacity-building pathways that offer lasting benefits for local communities. He says, “These are low-hanging fruits that can be tapped into.”

Meanwhile, CASLE was formed in 1969 as a federation of independent professional societies representing surveying and land economy in Commonwealth countries. The association brings together survey professionals among the 19 Commonwealth members in Africa. They include; Botswana, Cameroon, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Kingdom of Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, and Mauritius. Other members are Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Togo, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Zambia.

CASLE, a non-profit organisation, aims to promote the advancement of surveying and enhance the skills of surveyors in the management of natural and built environments for the common good.

“I am deeply grateful to the CASLE AGM and all member states for entrusting me, my country, and the entire surveying profession at large with such a prestigious role,” Gonza said.

He adds that this milestone is a testament to the level of professionalism that surveyors want to espouse in Uganda and worldwide.

Gonza will also use this office to further advocate for good professional governance and strategic partnerships in the face of increasing climate-related disasters.

Florence Nambooze Baale, a surveyor and realtor, congratulated Gonza on this milestone, adding, “That’s a great opportunity to share knowledge across member states while leveraging what has worked well to address common challenges.”

These include the protection and improvement of habitats, pollution control, and the security of title and certainty of occupier rights across the member states, among others.