Women of the year
Dec 28, 2007
<b>Julia Sebutinde, the presiding Judge of the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone</b><br><br>SHE is candid, thorough and courageous — virtues that have placed her way up on the legal pedestal. But above all, she is powerful. Otherwise, how would she have unearthed heaps of filth within the
Julia Sebutinde, the presiding Judge of the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone
SHE is candid, thorough and courageous — virtues that have placed her way up on the legal pedestal. But above all, she is powerful. Otherwise, how would she have unearthed heaps of filth within the Uganda Police Force, the Ministry of Defence and the Uganda Revenue Authority way back in 1999, had she been weak? Her probe ultimately led to the sacking of several cagey officials, and the sealing off of the loopholes that used to let corruption through.
She is a British-trained lawyer with a Masters degree from the University of Edinburgh. She was appointed Judge of the High Court of Uganda in 1996. She is currently trying Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia.
Florence Mugasha, the Deputy Secretary-General Commonwealth
MUGASHA was the first woman head of Public Service in Uganda, and in the course of her duties and professional career, she was instrumental in spear-heading Public Service reforms. In her role as head of the Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet, she provided leadership and direction to the Ugandan Public Service and policy advice to the President of Uganda on a range of issues of national concern.
She got her current job in 2002 and became the second woman to serve in that capacity in the Commonwealth Secretariat. She is responsible for political, legal, constitutional and human rights issues. Her responsibilities also include youth affairs, human resources, corporate services, IT and other aspects of the secretariat administration.
Beatrice Kiraso, deputy secretary general in charge of the East African Political Federation
She is a blend of beauty and brains. Save for her marriage woes, everything seems to be taking the right direction. She is the first woman to hold her current position. The former Kabarole Woman MP was also one of the leading legislators in the 6th and 7th Parliament. She served as the chairperson on the parliamentary budget committee - a committee that is dreaded for its mathematics! She is credited for her contribution to several motions, especially those on economic affairs. She was responsible for compiling the budget estimates report each financial year. “She was an expert on taxation, GDP and donor funding. She explained to Parliament what the terms meant, because she understood the issues much better than many MPs,†says one senior Parliament reporter.
Allen Kagina, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) boss
Mention her name and people will involuntarily, check through their cheque books. It is not always easy managing money matters, let alone the elusive tax-payers. But Kagina is largely credited for a lot. She lets us know who the best and worst tax-payers are every year. And there is always a reward for someone who emerges the best.
Until her appointment, the revenue body used to be synonymous with corruption and bribery. Most people had to use the backdoor to get permits and licenses. The vices might still be there, but not as much as before.
Dr. Maggie Kigozi, the executive director of Uganda Investment Authority
She has stood the taste of time. There has been so much public anxiety and hullabaloo, with the number of private investors growing in Uganda. Some have looked at her and the organisation as nothing more than a puppet. Yet, undeniably, it is under her command that Uganda has moved to greater heights in terms of investment. To date, it has licensed over 2,000 companies, with a total planned investment of about $5.87b (sh9, 980b) and a total of 192,684 planned employment. She is a graduate of medicine from Makerere University.
Betty Bigombe, senior fellow at the United States Institute of Peace
Since the early 1990’s, Bigombe has been involved in peace negotiations in Uganda to end the Lord’s Resistance Army’s (LRA) insurgency. A former legislator, Bigombe was appointed Minister of State for Pacification of Northern Uganda, with a role of persuading the LRA rebels to give up their arms and end the fighting. During the height of the conflict in 1993, Bigombe initiated contact with rebel leader Joseph Kony. This brought the LRA and government ministers face to face for the first time.
In 1994, Bigombe was named “Uganda’s Woman of the Year†for her efforts to end the country’s violence. She has continued to urge and facilitate engagement between key individuals on all sides of the conflict to achieve peace. She has also been a consultant in the Social Protection, Human Development and Post Conflict Units at the World Bank, and she has also been called upon to assist with peace negotiations in the Sudan.
SHE is candid, thorough and courageous — virtues that have placed her way up on the legal pedestal. But above all, she is powerful. Otherwise, how would she have unearthed heaps of filth within the Uganda Police Force, the Ministry of Defence and the Uganda Revenue Authority way back in 1999, had she been weak? Her probe ultimately led to the sacking of several cagey officials, and the sealing off of the loopholes that used to let corruption through.
She is a British-trained lawyer with a Masters degree from the University of Edinburgh. She was appointed Judge of the High Court of Uganda in 1996. She is currently trying Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia.
Florence Mugasha, the Deputy Secretary-General Commonwealth
MUGASHA was the first woman head of Public Service in Uganda, and in the course of her duties and professional career, she was instrumental in spear-heading Public Service reforms. In her role as head of the Public Service and Secretary to Cabinet, she provided leadership and direction to the Ugandan Public Service and policy advice to the President of Uganda on a range of issues of national concern.
She got her current job in 2002 and became the second woman to serve in that capacity in the Commonwealth Secretariat. She is responsible for political, legal, constitutional and human rights issues. Her responsibilities also include youth affairs, human resources, corporate services, IT and other aspects of the secretariat administration.
Beatrice Kiraso, deputy secretary general in charge of the East African Political Federation
She is a blend of beauty and brains. Save for her marriage woes, everything seems to be taking the right direction. She is the first woman to hold her current position. The former Kabarole Woman MP was also one of the leading legislators in the 6th and 7th Parliament. She served as the chairperson on the parliamentary budget committee - a committee that is dreaded for its mathematics! She is credited for her contribution to several motions, especially those on economic affairs. She was responsible for compiling the budget estimates report each financial year. “She was an expert on taxation, GDP and donor funding. She explained to Parliament what the terms meant, because she understood the issues much better than many MPs,†says one senior Parliament reporter.
Allen Kagina, the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) boss
Mention her name and people will involuntarily, check through their cheque books. It is not always easy managing money matters, let alone the elusive tax-payers. But Kagina is largely credited for a lot. She lets us know who the best and worst tax-payers are every year. And there is always a reward for someone who emerges the best.
Until her appointment, the revenue body used to be synonymous with corruption and bribery. Most people had to use the backdoor to get permits and licenses. The vices might still be there, but not as much as before.
Dr. Maggie Kigozi, the executive director of Uganda Investment Authority
She has stood the taste of time. There has been so much public anxiety and hullabaloo, with the number of private investors growing in Uganda. Some have looked at her and the organisation as nothing more than a puppet. Yet, undeniably, it is under her command that Uganda has moved to greater heights in terms of investment. To date, it has licensed over 2,000 companies, with a total planned investment of about $5.87b (sh9, 980b) and a total of 192,684 planned employment. She is a graduate of medicine from Makerere University.
Betty Bigombe, senior fellow at the United States Institute of Peace
Since the early 1990’s, Bigombe has been involved in peace negotiations in Uganda to end the Lord’s Resistance Army’s (LRA) insurgency. A former legislator, Bigombe was appointed Minister of State for Pacification of Northern Uganda, with a role of persuading the LRA rebels to give up their arms and end the fighting. During the height of the conflict in 1993, Bigombe initiated contact with rebel leader Joseph Kony. This brought the LRA and government ministers face to face for the first time.
In 1994, Bigombe was named “Uganda’s Woman of the Year†for her efforts to end the country’s violence. She has continued to urge and facilitate engagement between key individuals on all sides of the conflict to achieve peace. She has also been a consultant in the Social Protection, Human Development and Post Conflict Units at the World Bank, and she has also been called upon to assist with peace negotiations in the Sudan.