‘I have been blessed to work with good people’

After that job, I started working at the Uganda Commercial Bank where I developed systems and applications. I was developing systems to help the bank implement its programmes. It was fulfilling developing systems and seeing them being used.  Three years later, I joined Local Government with the position in information systems.

I did not see myself as monitoring and evaluating specialist but as someone involved in managing information. However, when I applied to be the monitoring and evaluation specialist for USMID in September 2013, I found it very fulfilling.

What are your non-negotiables when it comes to work?

Before I send a report I always pray. When I am meeting my boss I ensure to pray and commit the meeting to God.

I have resolved to be straight. In the office I am in, there is a lot of money but I only get what is allocated to me.

Integrity is a non-negotiable that I uphold. I do not want my integrity questioned. My background and Christian values have played a major role in this.

To what do you attribute your success?

I had good parents, my father died a few years ago and my mother is still alive but they prayed for us growing up. Many years ago when I was in secondary school, we had attended the burial of an uncle and my father prayed for us to marry good women

I was shocked by his prayer but I am glad he said it. Being a married man has shown me how good and useful my parents’ prayers were because family and marriage are a part of success.

I have been blessed to work with good people. Two of my workmates were my lecturers in school. The team I work with are very good and professional.

Any difficult decisions you have made along your career journey?

When I applied for this job in 2013, I was working as a project officer in the Ministry of Local Government; the project was huge but when I received the offer letter, I was very disappointed that the salary was less than what I was earning.

I thought I would not take the job but I talked to a friend, who is a pastor. I told him my dilemma and he told me it was time to leave Local Government. I knew my time had come, so I wrote my resignation letter with a heavy heart.

When I joined the Ministry of Lands there was no office, I used to share a small boardroom with a colleague.

Interestingly six months after leaving the job at the Local Government, I learnt that the projects I was heading had come to an end due to some mishaps. It was a difficult decision to leave Local Government but I believe my friend heard from the voice of God.

How do you balance your personal and work life?

It is a struggle because of the various workplace demands but I have tried to keep going out with my family whenever it is possible. We try to make time to be together as a family. I visit my mother quite often as well. I also make time to drop our younger children to school since it will help me know how they are doing.

I aim to be better at creating more time with my wife and the children.

How would you break down your job?

I travel to the field to monitor the work that is being done. We do training with the people being supported; Inspections are done as well. At times I do not travel but the work is mainly desk work, for example reports that are being handled, fieldwork checking on what the Local Government staff are doing and attending meetings with other organisations.

There are several institutions that we are working with, so we attend the meetings, plan and prepare for the next course of action.

Anything you could do better if you could turn back the clock?

In my secondary school, I was in St.Mary’s College Kisubi and I thought I would be an engineer; I was so good in Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics I wanted to be an engineer but the day I was to do my final papers it was in the afternoon and Geography in the morning. I felt I had not read geography so I read geography the whole night until early morning hours.

I went for the papers feeling tired since I had not slept the entire night, doing the Physics paper was a challenge, although I managed to finish the paper. I opted for Mathematics, Economics and Geography knowing I had not passed Physics.

Surprisingly when the results came back I got a distinction in Physics but I was determined to do MEG. The headmaster at St.Mary’s College Kisubi tried to convince me not to do MEG in vain.

It dawned on me in my Senior Six that I could have done PCM since we had not had any geography lessons but I could not change the combination since it was late to change.

If I could turn back the clock I would have read earlier so that I could sleep well before the papers.

 I have learnt that the course and career path I chose are still very good.

Who is your role model and why?

I have had several role models at different points in my life that I respect and admire ranging from family to the places I have worked. When my firstborn was born, my brother-in-law helped bathe and feed him. The way he treated him was so good.

When we travelled upcountry for a function with the baby, I took good care of him and some women were shocked by how I took care of him but I learnt how to take care of him from my brother-in-law in hospital.

Regarding role models, whenever someone does something good I learn from them. My brother-in-law is my role model in raising children.

Martin Olaa is my role model because of his work ethic.

How do you spend time outside meetings and consultations?

I like taking walks, massages, spending time with people and my family, and watching movies.

Advice to those interested in pursuing Statistics?

I would encourage people to join because it is a good field that calls for hardwork and skills such as managing data and it is open to several professions.