Impact requires intentionality, says Nampijja

After about three years, she moved to an NGO in Kampala as a capacity-building manager. However, she soon realised the role was not the right fit. In 2005, she made another career move, this time joining Mbale Local Government as a human resource officer.

“I was earning Shs200,000 and almost threw in the towel after two months, but my mentor, who was then the director for local government, advised me to keep going,” she recalls.

Her perseverance soon paid off. Two months into the role, a government restructuring exercise presented new opportunities. After successfully going through an interview, she was promoted to personnel officer. By the end of 2006, when her supervisor left, she stepped in as the acting principal human resource officer.
Although she was new to the governance in public sector, Nampijja suddenly found herself leading a unit and managing more than 3,000 staff across the district, including 3,000 teachers and 300 civil servants.

“My most significant achievement was eliminating ghost workers from the payroll. We created a system where head teachers submitted attendance rosters before payroll processing. If a teacher was absent, they were not paid, which effectively discouraged absenteeism,” she explains.

Teachers quickly adapted to the system, realising that absence from class meant no pay. If a teacher consistently absconded, they were removed from the payroll, and rejoining it was an arduous process.

Advancing

Eager to grow and driven by a vision of becoming a transformative leader, Nampijja pursued a master’s degree in Business Administration at Nkozi University, a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management at the Uganda Management Institute and a Law certificate.

Balancing work and education was a necessary sacrifice for her future goals. In 2010, she joined Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) as an HR manager, where she spent about two years. “Most people struggle to transition from government to NGO, especially international NGOs, because the cultures are very different,” she says. Yet, she made the leap successfully, leveraging her legal background to her advantage.

“As an HR professional, you are a custodian of the law and organisational policies," she explains. In 2012, Nampijja sought growth in a role where HR was not just administrative, but a strategic advisory function. She found that opportunity at CARE International Uganda. Starting out as an HR management coordinator, she rose through the ranks to become head of HR, a role she holds to date.
One of the things she has taken seriously is gender, equity and diversity.

"When I joined CARE International, women made up only 20 per cent of the workforce, with most employees from one region. I purposed to balance regional representation and increased women participation to 60 per cent," she adds.

Now, she has trainers and focal persons supporting this, even though she does not directly supervise them. Her work also focuses on employee wellness and welfare, addressing misconduct, particularly sexual harassment and abuse-related cases.
Nampijja says she is striving for a balanced leadership and workforce with 50 percent women and 50 percent men to ensure inclusivity.

Settling into a new environment

At CARE International, Nampijja led a team where most members were older than her and had to challenge long-standing hiring practices to promote diversity and inclusion.
"The office had historically favoured candidates from one region. The task was not just about hiring, but shifting a deeply-rooted culture," she shares.

To break this cycle, every shortlist had to include candidates from different regions. Panels were carefully constituted to reflect both gender and regional diversity, ensuring fairness in the hiring process.
Even in emergency hiring, where speed can lead to unconscious bias, Nampijja intentionally ensures diverse representation within regions.

"Changing organisational culture meant making tough decisions, including rejecting hires linked to favouritism and standing firm amid criticism. But the results speak for themselves- a more inclusive and representative workforce," she says.
Managing conflicts that arose from these changes required active listening and giving every employee a voice. By encouraging open communication, team dynamics improved, creating a more inclusive work environment.

Navigating change

The changes have not stopped. Since 2023, CARE International embraced a model, empowering local NGOs to take the lead in delivering aid and services. This shift, Nampijja says, meets donor demands for efficiency, ensuring more resources reach beneficiaries. "Donors want their money to reach the people in need. This required us to shift from direct implementation to a facilitator and advisory role. This transition challenged staff accustomed to hands-on implementation to adopt coaching, mentoring, and influencing roles, necessitating a re-evaluation of skills and roles,” Nampijja explains.

Nampijja conducted a skills audit to identify competencies needed for the transition. "Staff must now build relationships with local NGOs as equals rather than supervisors. Flexibility and effective communication are essential for influencing and mentoring. The skills audit revealed gaps, particularly in influencing and advocacy. I am working with managers to bridge these gaps and prepare the team for the new model," she says. Effective communication is central to this transition. Nampijja emphasises transparency and frequent updates to engage staff and address resistance. "If staff do not understand the reasons for change, they will boycott it,” she emphasises.

By simplifying complex ideas and highlighting the strategic importance of localisation, she has brought most staff members on board. She remains focused on those willing to adapt, even when some chose to leave due to discomfort with the new direction.
Nampijja also navigates the human aspect of the transition, including difficult decisions about staffing levels.
"We were around 150 staff members before localisation, but now we are at 96 due to restructuring. We categorised roles into short-term, mid-term, and long-term needs to minimise disruption,” she shares.

The juggling game

Nampijja’s leadership extends beyond her workplace. She is the vice president of the Human Resource Managers Association of Uganda (HRMAU), a role she has held since March 2024. She was previously the chairperson for the International NGO HR Network before becoming vice president of HRMAU. She is also passionate about mentoring emerging HR professionals
"Young HR professionals approach me for mentorship. I am currently mentoring two,” she says.

The organisation also runs “Women Shine”, a mentorship and coaching programme designed to equip women for leadership roles. Participants spend six months with Girls 4 Girls (a not-for-profit company that mentors girls and women), followed by a year of mentorship from internal and external coaches. Since 2020, 26 women have gone through the programme, earning promotions or advancing to higher roles. In achieving all this, Ms Nampijja credits her supportive spouse and social networks, like family, for understanding her work demands when she is unavailable, making sure that when she is available, she gives them her attention: "I also ensure weekends are for my family, where we bond over different activities like watching movies," she says.