[UAH] Eric Kashambuzi’s leadership credentials
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Since I was elected Secretary-General of UDU, some have wondered whether I have what it takes to lead. My leadership credentials have a long history. Here is a summary for easy reference combining political and non-political leadership roles. There will be some repeat of what I presented under political credentials.
1. In Kashenyi primary school (Ruhinda sub-county), I was made a time keeper (to ring the bell at start of classes, change classes, take and end break and at the end of the day). I was selected because I used to get to school earlier than others and rarely missed classes. This leadership role instilled in me to this day a strict observance of punctuality and ending meetings on time;
2. In Kinyasano secondary school (Rukungiri district), I was made a librarian because I read too much and would ask teachers to give me additional books after I went through the assigned texts. Being a librarian exposed me to reading broadly, a habit that has become part of my being and helped me to set up my own home library;
3. At Butobere senior secondary school (Kabale district) ordinary (O) level, I was appointed a prefect and served as scouts' troop leader. These were heavy responsibilities especially in dealing with students who came from all parts of Uganda and different religions that had never mixed before. Interacting for the first time carried potential for conflict, so students had to be led carefully especially when I led scouts to a district camp at Marumba in Rukungiri district. We came second in overall performance;
4. During senior secondary school at Butobere, I served as president of Rukungiri students' association for one year. Under my presidency we organized a successful concert in Bushenyi town;
5. At Ntare school (Ankole disrict) for advanced (A) level I was made a prefect with responsibility for managing O & A level students. The style of leadership had to change to accommodate students from form I to form VI so different strokes were used for different folks;
6. At University of California, Berkeley (USA) I was elected president of African students association for one year. The late 1960s and early 1970s marked an unusual situation on university campuses. Leading students from first degree to Ph. D. levels also needed careful handling as they presented different problems to be discussed at University committee meetings where I represented them. Each category had to get something;
7. At the East African Community, I worked as advisor to the minister in charge of African negotiations with the European Economic Community. In that role I led the collection and preparation of reports for meetings and statements for the minister, often at short notice in an age without computers. Establishing good working relationship with delegates from member states of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania was a major asset because I received valuable collaboration. The Ambassador of Uganda to the negotiations helped where I would have encountered great difficulties with delegates at ambassadorial level;
8. As a staff member of UNDP in Lusaka (Zambia), I served as Chairman of UN Staff Association bringing together international and local staff to work together as a team. While in Lusaka I also led the efforts that established Uganda Unity Group (UUG) and demonstrated that with determination Ugandans from all walks of life can be unified as one nation under God;
9. As Deputy UNDP (United Nations Development Program) Resident Representative (DRR), I served as the officer with overall financial and administrative responsibility including for staff of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Food Program (WFP) and UN staff in Mozambique that did their shopping in Swaziland because of acute shortages in Mozambique as a result of guerrilla war. UNDP office in Swaziland cleared their allowances and gave them checks for local currency. In the absence of the Resident Representative, I combined his and my duties. The experience in Swaziland introduced me to dealing with African leaders at director, permanent secretary, ministerial and Deputy Minister and how governments work.
10. In New York's UNDP office I served in various capacities. As Deputy Regional Chief, I handled daily responsibility for managing the regional program. In the absence of the chief I combined his duties and mine. I chaired in New York, Geneva and Africa many tripartite (government or intergovernmental like SADC, executing agency and UNDP as funding organ) and inter-agency meetings. I chaired thematic meetings such as Transport and Communications Decade for Africa that brought relevant UN agencies such as ECA, World Bank, ICAO, ITU, IMO, and Sub-regional organizations as well as multi-sector programs that brought different departments together. I chaired meeting involving UNDP support to Organization of African Unity now African Union.
11. In the Eastern Division of Africa Bureau (UNDP New York), I was Deputy Chief and desk officer for Uganda. I led a team of national and international experts to develop Uganda's development program that came up with a unique program of only two sectors – private sector and decentralization (usually there are many sectors in a country's program which scatter resources too thin).
12. With the release of Mandela in 1990 and ending of sanctions against South Africa, I was reassigned to Southern African Division (UNDP) and served as desk officer for South Africa. I led the first ever United Nations Joint Team of UNFPA, UNICEF, IFAD, UNDP and UN Secretariat to draw up a joint program for supporting that country. With South Africa independent and the program ready I was reassigned to the External Relations Bureau of UNDP in large part because of exposure to international relations at school and at work and dealing directly with governments in Ethiopia, Zambia and Swaziland where I served with UNDP.
13. In External Relations Bureau, I was UNDP's Liaison officer with the General Assembly, ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) and Security Council. With my training in International law and International Relations, I provided useful service to UNDP writing reports of presidents' and ministers speeches in the General Assembly and ECOSOC meetings respectively, gaining diplomatic and negotiating skills at the highest level.
14. I was reassigned to the Executive Board of UNDP and UNFPA Secretariat within the External Relations Bureau where they needed a combination of demography and writing skills which I possessed. I led preparation of reports of Board meeting and highlights to be distributed immediately at the end of meetings.
15. I moved on to the UNDP supported Millennium Development Project under the overall leadership of Professor Jeffrey Sachs (Special Advisor to the Secretary-General) as external relations officer dealing with African missions, AU Liaison office to the UN, Group of 77, Secretary-General's office, ECOSOC and General Assembly. I provided diplomatic leadership during preparation for the Five Year Review of the United Nations Millennium Declaration that took place at the end of 2005 and implementation of millennium Villages.
This summary hopefully will give readers an idea of my leadership credentials and settle this matter. You noticed I have led at various levels from early in my life, requiring adaptation to different situations especially when dealing with people from different cultural background and nationalities, levels of education, expertise and experience. I encountered relatively few problems in large part because I was honest (telling the truth can hurt those who have committed errors and want them hidden from public view) and led from my heart, played no favoritism, treated everyone with respect, encouraged open discussions and made sure all staff under my supervision played by the same set of rules. Above all, I worked hard and knew what was going on thanks to my diverse training in Geography, Economics, Demography, International law and Diplomacy/International Relations and Sustainable Development. My supervisors' grades of my performance reflected their appreciation of my work to make a modest contribution to improving the welfare of human kind.
Since I was elected Secretary-General of UDU, some have wondered whether I have what it takes to lead. My leadership credentials have a long history. Here is a summary for easy reference combining political and non-political leadership roles. There will be some repeat of what I presented under political credentials.
1. In Kashenyi primary school (Ruhinda sub-county), I was made a time keeper (to ring the bell at start of classes, change classes, take and end break and at the end of the day). I was selected because I used to get to school earlier than others and rarely missed classes. This leadership role instilled in me to this day a strict observance of punctuality and ending meetings on time;
2. In Kinyasano secondary school (Rukungiri district), I was made a librarian because I read too much and would ask teachers to give me additional books after I went through the assigned texts. Being a librarian exposed me to reading broadly, a habit that has become part of my being and helped me to set up my own home library;
3. At Butobere senior secondary school (Kabale district) ordinary (O) level, I was appointed a prefect and served as scouts' troop leader. These were heavy responsibilities especially in dealing with students who came from all parts of Uganda and different religions that had never mixed before. Interacting for the first time carried potential for conflict, so students had to be led carefully especially when I led scouts to a district camp at Marumba in Rukungiri district. We came second in overall performance;
4. During senior secondary school at Butobere, I served as president of Rukungiri students' association for one year. Under my presidency we organized a successful concert in Bushenyi town;
5. At Ntare school (Ankole disrict) for advanced (A) level I was made a prefect with responsibility for managing O & A level students. The style of leadership had to change to accommodate students from form I to form VI so different strokes were used for different folks;
6. At University of California, Berkeley (USA) I was elected president of African students association for one year. The late 1960s and early 1970s marked an unusual situation on university campuses. Leading students from first degree to Ph. D. levels also needed careful handling as they presented different problems to be discussed at University committee meetings where I represented them. Each category had to get something;
7. At the East African Community, I worked as advisor to the minister in charge of African negotiations with the European Economic Community. In that role I led the collection and preparation of reports for meetings and statements for the minister, often at short notice in an age without computers. Establishing good working relationship with delegates from member states of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania was a major asset because I received valuable collaboration. The Ambassador of Uganda to the negotiations helped where I would have encountered great difficulties with delegates at ambassadorial level;
8. As a staff member of UNDP in Lusaka (Zambia), I served as Chairman of UN Staff Association bringing together international and local staff to work together as a team. While in Lusaka I also led the efforts that established Uganda Unity Group (UUG) and demonstrated that with determination Ugandans from all walks of life can be unified as one nation under God;
9. As Deputy UNDP (United Nations Development Program) Resident Representative (DRR), I served as the officer with overall financial and administrative responsibility including for staff of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Food Program (WFP) and UN staff in Mozambique that did their shopping in Swaziland because of acute shortages in Mozambique as a result of guerrilla war. UNDP office in Swaziland cleared their allowances and gave them checks for local currency. In the absence of the Resident Representative, I combined his and my duties. The experience in Swaziland introduced me to dealing with African leaders at director, permanent secretary, ministerial and Deputy Minister and how governments work.
10. In New York's UNDP office I served in various capacities. As Deputy Regional Chief, I handled daily responsibility for managing the regional program. In the absence of the chief I combined his duties and mine. I chaired in New York, Geneva and Africa many tripartite (government or intergovernmental like SADC, executing agency and UNDP as funding organ) and inter-agency meetings. I chaired thematic meetings such as Transport and Communications Decade for Africa that brought relevant UN agencies such as ECA, World Bank, ICAO, ITU, IMO, and Sub-regional organizations as well as multi-sector programs that brought different departments together. I chaired meeting involving UNDP support to Organization of African Unity now African Union.
11. In the Eastern Division of Africa Bureau (UNDP New York), I was Deputy Chief and desk officer for Uganda. I led a team of national and international experts to develop Uganda's development program that came up with a unique program of only two sectors – private sector and decentralization (usually there are many sectors in a country's program which scatter resources too thin).
12. With the release of Mandela in 1990 and ending of sanctions against South Africa, I was reassigned to Southern African Division (UNDP) and served as desk officer for South Africa. I led the first ever United Nations Joint Team of UNFPA, UNICEF, IFAD, UNDP and UN Secretariat to draw up a joint program for supporting that country. With South Africa independent and the program ready I was reassigned to the External Relations Bureau of UNDP in large part because of exposure to international relations at school and at work and dealing directly with governments in Ethiopia, Zambia and Swaziland where I served with UNDP.
13. In External Relations Bureau, I was UNDP's Liaison officer with the General Assembly, ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) and Security Council. With my training in International law and International Relations, I provided useful service to UNDP writing reports of presidents' and ministers speeches in the General Assembly and ECOSOC meetings respectively, gaining diplomatic and negotiating skills at the highest level.
14. I was reassigned to the Executive Board of UNDP and UNFPA Secretariat within the External Relations Bureau where they needed a combination of demography and writing skills which I possessed. I led preparation of reports of Board meeting and highlights to be distributed immediately at the end of meetings.
15. I moved on to the UNDP supported Millennium Development Project under the overall leadership of Professor Jeffrey Sachs (Special Advisor to the Secretary-General) as external relations officer dealing with African missions, AU Liaison office to the UN, Group of 77, Secretary-General's office, ECOSOC and General Assembly. I provided diplomatic leadership during preparation for the Five Year Review of the United Nations Millennium Declaration that took place at the end of 2005 and implementation of millennium Villages.
This summary hopefully will give readers an idea of my leadership credentials and settle this matter. You noticed I have led at various levels from early in my life, requiring adaptation to different situations especially when dealing with people from different cultural background and nationalities, levels of education, expertise and experience. I encountered relatively few problems in large part because I was honest (telling the truth can hurt those who have committed errors and want them hidden from public view) and led from my heart, played no favoritism, treated everyone with respect, encouraged open discussions and made sure all staff under my supervision played by the same set of rules. Above all, I worked hard and knew what was going on thanks to my diverse training in Geography, Economics, Demography, International law and Diplomacy/International Relations and Sustainable Development. My supervisors' grades of my performance reflected their appreciation of my work to make a modest contribution to improving the welfare of human kind.
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