Nine women who qualify for BoU top job

MARIA KIWANUKA

Ms Maria Kiwanuka holds a Bachelors in commerce from  Makerere University, MBA from London Business School, UK. For more than 10 years, she worked with the World Bank as an economist and financial analyst for East Asian and Southern African regions, covering projects in Burma, Malawi, Swaziland, and Uganda.

Upon her return to Uganda, she went into private business involving broadcasting, publishing, real estate and economic consulting. She was the managing director of Radio One and Radio Two. In 2011, she was appointed Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development until March 2015.

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She formerly served as a member of the Presidential Economic Commission and Presidential Investors Roundtable. She has served on the board of directors for Agha Khan Foundation (East Africa), the Nabagereka Development Trust, Nkumba University, Uganda Development Bank, and Stanbic Bank Uganda.

DR SARAH SSEWANYANA

Dr Sarah Ssewanyana is the executive director of Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), a position she has held since 2009. Dr Ssewanyana joined the centre in March 2003 as a senior research fellow and later served as the principal research fellow in 2008. Previously, Dr Ssewanyana taught at the Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics, Makerere University. She was an external examiner to masters and PhD dissertations for Uganda Management Institute, Makerere University, and University of Sydney, Australia. 

Dr Ssewanyana holds a PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of Sydney, Australia, a Masters in Science in Agricultural Economics from the University of Manitoba, Canada, and a Bachelor of Statistics from Makerere University. She has steered EPRC to one of the globally recognised policy think tanks.

Dr Ssewanyana has extensively researched about poverty, food security, health, education, and social service delivery, among others.

GERALDINE SSALI BUSUULWA

Ms Geraldine Sali Busuulwa currently serves as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives. She has worked as head of the Directorate of Management in Her Majesty’s Treasury in the United Kingdom. 

She served as deputy managing director of National Social Security Fund from March 20, 2011 until December 2013.

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She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics, Statistics, and Economics from Makerere University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Manchester Business School. She is an accountant and a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

BARBARA BARUNGI MBIIRE

Ms Barbara Barungi Mbiire has 21 years’ experience as an economist. She is currently the managing partner of Imara Africa Consulting, which provides economic management consultancy services, focusing on economic policy management, public policy and financial advisory.

Prior to founding Imara Africa Consulting, she worked as a lead economist for the United Nations Development Programme and later for the African Development Bank. Ms Barungi holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Sociology from Makerere University, a post graduate diploma in development policy and a Master’s of Philosophy in International Finance both from the University of Glasgow.

MARGARET KAKANDE

Ms Margaret Kakande is the head of the budget monitoring and accountability unit in Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.

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She holds a Masters degree in Development Economics from the University of East Anglia in UK, Bachelors of Statistics from Makerere University, and a post graduate diploma in Feminist Development Economics from the Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands.

Ms Kakande has lectured at Makerere University and served the government as a social infrastructure economist and social policy adviser. Her strengths pivot on poverty analysis, monitoring and evaluation, national budget processing and mainstreaming gender and equity issues into development projects.

NICOLE NTUNGIRE

Ms Nicole Ntungire is Uganda's country economist at International Growth Centre (IGC). She holds an MPA in Economic Policy Management from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and a Bachelor of Social Science in Economics from the University of Cape Town.

Prior to joining the IGC, Ms Ntungire was working at the Central Bank of Uganda as a senior economist in the Research and Policy Directorate. She has also worked at the World Bank as a short term consultant, analysing the scope and effectiveness of collateral and bankruptcy laws in facilitating lending.

ALLEN KAGINA

Ms Allen Kagina is the executive director of Uganda National Roads Authority. She started her career in 1985 as a teaching assistant at Makerere University. She later moved to the Office of the President. In 1992, she joined Uganda Revenue Authority (URA)as a senior principal revenue officer, serving in that capacity until 1998. In 2000, she was promoted to the rank of deputy commissioner for customs at URA, serving in that capacity until 2001.

She was appointed commissioner general in 2004. She is credited for improving URA’s financial performance. She was awarded the Corporate Leadership Award in February 2006 by Destiny Consult, an industry group, for turning around the performance of the tax body since her appointment to head the organisation.

LUCY NAKYOBE

Ms Lucy Nakyobe is the head of Public Service. She was previousy responsible for advising the President in business, general administration, and policy issues. In 1990-1991, she worked as the assistant secretary of the Environment Protection Department, State House. Between 1991 and 1992,Ms Nakyobe served as the assistant secretary Energy and Natural Resources Department,State House.

From 1993-1994, she was the assistant secretary of Tourism and Wild Life, State House. From 1994 to 1995, she was the assistant secretary Office of the President, then from 1995 to 1998, assistant secretary, State House. Ms Nakyobe also served as the Under Secretary, Finance and Administration, Accounts Department at State House.

DR MAGGIE KIGOZI

Dr Maggie Kigozi has served as the managing director of Crown Bottlers Uganda Limited (Pepsi), board member of Uganda Manufacturers Association and executive director at Uganda Investment Authority. She is the first person and woman to serve in that position.

She formerly served as an associate professor of Economics at Makerere University, a member of Global Banking Alliance for Women Advisory Board, patron, Uganda Change Agents and Junior Chamber International, director of the Board of Uganda Export Promotion, Member, board of directors, Crown Beverages Limited.

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She is also founder of Uganda Investment Authority Women Entrepreneurs Network, focal point officer for the Africa Asia Business Forum, and patron of Ugandan Diaspora Network. For a period leading up to 2011, Dr Kigozi was the Chancellor of Nkumba University.

The names were forwarded by the Women of Uganda Group and drafted by Rebecca Juna Turyatunga.