KAMPALA – The United States – US Mission in Uganda on Saturday recognised human rights defender, Margaret Sekaggya with a Lifetime Achievement Award at a function where several others’ contributions were acknowledged.
Sekaggya received the award during the inaugural U.S Mission Alumni Impact Awards ceremony held at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel.
The event was organised to honour the impact of U.S. exchange program alumni as the Mission celebrates 60 years of its relationship with Uganda.
Sekaggya – the Executive Director of the Human Rights and Peace Centre was recognised with the highest award, beating former Speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga and Santa Joyce Laker – the vice chair at Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association Limited.
At the same function, 12 other Ugandans were honoured with outstanding awards in different categories for their dedication to selfless service within their respective communities or region.
The awards attracted a total of 150 nominees with 58 making it into the semi-finals.
Sekaggya, had before establishing the Human Rights and Peace Centre, served in the capacity of Chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission- UHRC, which organ she had helped to launch. She has served as a leader in human rights for over 30 years in Uganda and the world. Sekaggya was also the first United Nations -UN special rapporteur for human rights defenders.
“I have mentored many and it is good to see that many people are coming up to take the work I have been doing. I was sent to the U.S. for the International exchange program, I learnt a lot, we traversed the U.S…..we went to the Bill Gates campus and I was seeing young people doing a lot…,” said Sekaggya as she receiving her award – that came with cash price of Ugx3.7m.
She added that while at the UN special rapporteur, she went to 45 countries and that she continues to serve since a lot has to be done to cause a difference in the country.
“It has been a pleasure working world over, at the UN Council, and General Assembly, fighting for human rights defenders. We need to do more, you know we are having a lot of challenges…but we have a lot of successes which we should build on,” said Sekaggya.
The Lifetime Achievement Award, which Sekaggya received, is named after the longest-serving Public Diplomacy Professional at the U.S. Embassy in Uganda, Dorothy Ngalombi who is recognised for her work in supporting the U.S government exchange program participants over the years.
The award is given to an alumnus who has had the greatest impact on their communities using the experience they gained while in the United States. The impact is defined as affecting policy or social change, providing meaningful social benefit, contributing to education, training, or raising awareness about important issues.
The U.S. Ambassador to Uganda, Natalie E. Brown said that the United States believes in investing in people, and partnership and that the Mission was proud to see the experiences, networks, and new perspectives gained through its programs, to thrive and positively impact the communities.
“As we celebrate 60 years of the United States’ partnership with the Ugandan people, I can think of no better way to honour the work we are doing together than by celebrating the impact of U.S. exchange program alumni,” said Ambassador Natalie.
She added that in September last year; the Mission celebrated the first African Fulbright Scholar, the late Prof William Senteza Kajubi, who went to the United States on the program in the early 1950s before Uganda’s Independence.
“He went on to do many things to support the development of this country, including two separate terms as Makerere University Vice-Chancellor. Following his inspiring example, so many alumni of our programs return home to Uganda and make an impact in their respective sectors,” the Ambassador said.
According to the U.S Mission, over 4,700 Ugandans have participated in the U.S. government-supported exchange programs and these alumni are under the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI and Mandela Washington Fellows), Fulbright academia exchange programs, the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP), the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) and others.
“From the first Ugandan Fulbright scholar to study in the United States in the 1950s, to the cohort of 2022 Mandela Washington Fellows under the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), alumni of U.S. government-supported exchange programs have made a significant impact in their respective sectors in Uganda, be it business, academia, education, public management, civil society, the arts, medicine, public health, the media and many more,” said Tony Kujawa the U.S. Mission spokesperson.
Some of the other recognized Ugandans are Florence Nightingale Kuteesa, the founder Council for the Economic Empowerment of Women- Uganda – CEEWA-Uganda with the Outstanding Public Sector award. She is a retired civil servant from the Ministry of Finance Budget office and a public finance management consultant.
“Through her impressive career in government and international organizations, Kuteesa has been instrumental in developing and instituting gender-responsive planning and budgeting reforms that have helped bridge the gap between policy and the empowerment of women and girls including gender-based advocacy enhancing the economic status of women through her organization,” reads a statement from the U.S Embassy.
Associate Prof Etheldreda Nakimuli Mpungu, a senior lecturer and psychiatric epidemiologist Makerere University was awarded the Health sector outstanding award for innovative work in mental health and HIV.
The award event brought together hundreds of dignitaries from across the country who had participated different in U.S. government exchange programs over the past six decades – and key in the crowd former legislator Joyce Mpanga, Dr Diana Atwine -Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and others.
