The Chairperson of the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Council, Allen Kagina, has shared an insightful account of her personal and professional journey, tracing her path from school leadership roles to some of Uganda’s most prominent public service positions.
Speaking to Mildred Tuhaise during NBS People and Power on Sunday, Kagina reflected on the formative experiences that shaped her ambitions and career trajectory.
Growing up, Kagina demonstrated early leadership potential.
She served as Head Girl in primary school and later as Deputy Head Girl at Gayaza High School, which she chose for two reasons: it was the best girls’ school, and it was a Christian missionary-founded institution.
“We had some form of career guidance in school, but we also had our own ambitions to pursue different professions. I admired doctors because the profession was prestigious. I did not perform well enough in the sciences to pursue medicine, and I thank God for that because I am not sure I would have made a good doctor. Instead, I studied psychology at university,” he said.
After completing her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at Makerere University with good grades, Kagina was offered a teaching assistant position at the university.
“I did not apply for the job. I had planned to start looking for a job like anyone else, but my head of department informed me about the opportunity, and I took it,” she recalled.
Kagina’s early teaching experiences were challenging. Assigned to first-year students, she initially found the task intimidating, but over time, she grew to love teaching.
“They were excited, very rowdy, and very many. My first class was in the main hall. The freshers thought I was a fellow student,” she recalled.
“At the beginning, teaching was frightening and difficult. It was my first time teaching adults, but as I grew into it, I came to love teaching.”
While lecturing, she also pursued a master’s degree.
“The good thing about the master’s program then and even now is that it largely depends on your own effort. The more time you put in, the better it is for you.”
However, Kagina did not complete the program due to an unfortunate experience with her supervisor, who was extremely busy and had limited availability.
Kagina’s career took a new turn when she applied for a position as office manager at the Office of the President, which had moved to the Conference Centre.
“The pay was very low, but for me, what mattered was that I had a job,” she said.
Later, Kagina joined the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) as a revenue officer. Initially offered a junior-level position despite recently completing a master’s degree.
LI initially felt I could not accept it. However, those were the opportunities available at the time,” she said.
She rose through the ranks, demonstrating dedication and leadership at every stage.
Born in 1961, Allen Catherine Kagina served as the Executive Director of the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) from 27 April 2015 until 23 December 2024. Prior to that, she was Commissioner General of the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) from 2004 to 2014.
In addition to her undergraduate degree, Kagina holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, and a Master of Arts in Organisational Leadership and Management from Uganda Christian University (UCU).
Kagina’s leadership excellence has been widely recognized, earning her the Corporate Leadership Award (2006) for transforming URA and a Lifetime Achievement Award (2021) from URA for her lasting impact on institutional success.
