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Pius Bigirimana, the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Judiciary was on this year’s International Labour Day recognised by the Government of Uganda with the distinguished “Order of the Source of the Nile Class One” award. This was at the national celebrations to mark the day, held at Namutumba District.
Dr Bigirimana received the exceptional award along with Makerere University Business School (MUBS) Principal Prof Wasswa J Balunywa. The two distinguished Ugandans were recognised for their enormous contribution to the social and economic transformation of Uganda, as well as for shaping the moral fabric of the nation, and impacting on especially women and the elderly in their different cycles of services.
Named after the mighty River Nile, the world’s longest river, whose source is also in Uganda, the Order of the Source of the Nile award is given to outstanding individuals in production, research, economic activities, and social and cultural practices.
The order has 5 classes.
But who is Bigirimana?
Born in Kisoro District on March 22, 1958, Dr. Pius Bigirimana is a senior civil servant in the Government of Uganda. He, presently, is the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Judiciary of Uganda, one of the three Constitutionally-mandated arms of Government besides the Executive and Legislature. His employment in Uganda’s Civil Service has spanned 30 years, to date. He has risen from the junior ranks, back in 1984, to his current role as a Permanent Secretary ⏤the highest non-political position of Uganda’s Civil Service.
Over the years, Bigirimana has built a solid reputation as a transformative thinker and leader who is performance oriented with unique perspectives on assessing not only the outputs but also the outcomes and impact. He believes that Government interventions to solve challenges encountered by the citizenry are not an end in themselves. The outcomes (evidenced by higher productivity and improved livelihood), as well as impact (evidenced by contribution to national development), must be synergised in a 360-degree loopback system. Such a system ensures value-for-money and visible/demonstrable change in the quality of life of the populace underscored by their active contribution to national development.
Key career highlights
Bigirimana has been a key player in the conceptualisation, innovation, implementation and evaluation of a number of Government of Uganda initiatives prominent among them include but are not limited to the following:
2005-2006
He spearheaded the Development of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Uganda and Development Partners to support the Public Service Reform Programme. He was pivotal in the high-Level Stakeholder engagement that attracted funding for the construction of the National Archives Centre and Civil Service College, Jinja
2006-2007
Spearheaded the revival and developed long-term Institutional arrangements for Global Fund and GAVI, institutional mechanisms developed which assured Global Fund smooth flow, utilisation and accountability of Global funds. This followed previous mismanagement of the funds at the Ministry of Health which had led to the suspension of the fund.
2008-2013
He was a key player in the development and implementation of Peace Recovery and Development Programme (PRDP) Post War Economic Recovery and Resettlement Plan with Infrastructure Development. This was implemented alongside the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF) which was one of the best-performing project in the country with over 98% performance rate in terms of absorption and accountability.
Development of a Government Assessment Tool referred to as the Uganda Annual Government Performance Review Mechanism Commonly referred to as the Traffic Light System that facilitates evaluation of the performance of Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, semiannually and annually against set targets
2013-2018
He conceptualised the Youth Livelihood Programme⏤five-year Programme that saw the empowerment of up to 250,000 individual Youth in various Enterprises some of which were in value addition. This reduced the unemployment ratio, stimulated local creativity and enriched vocational skills
Spearheaded the development of Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme; A Revolving Women Entrepreneurship Programme Fund that reached close to 180,000 individual women in five years. It economically empowered women through self-reliant enterprises.
2017-2019
He guided the development of the Green Jobs Programme which lead to the establishment of the Songhai Model Organic Production System that is integrated in nature from primary production to secondary and tertiary
2019-2023
Dr. Bigirimana is spearheading the Construction of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal Buildings Turnkey Buildings to save Government rent of about UGX 6 bn annually
2019-2024
He supported the procurement of an Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS). This is a system meant to automate the case management process in the courts from e-filing to archival including online services to citizens. The focus is on the expedited delivery of justice and minimising of corruption.
He also supported the rollout of video conferencing in seven High Courts and Prisons. Video Conferencing facilities were introduced in Buganda Road Court linked to Luzira. He also introduced other similar facilities to Arua High Court, Masindi High Court; Mbarara High Court, Jinja High Court and Masaka High Court.
Education & published works
Dr. Bigirimana, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences from Makerere University – 1984, a Master of Arts degree from the University of Manchester – 1991 and a Master of Business Administration degree in Development, Administration and Management from East and Southern African Management Institute – 2010.
He was also recently (2021) awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Leadership and Management by the Geofidel Institute of Leadership and Management (UK) in collaboration with Stratford University (USA).
He has also attended a number of post-graduate Leadership and Management courses twice at Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government – USA, and other specialised higher Institutions of learning like the University of Manchester in the UK. He is a sought-after speaker both in and outside of Uganda. He has spoken at the United Nations Evaluation Symposium in New York and a number of International conferences including the High-Level London Symposium Panel on Ending World Poverty – 2010.
He has also authored six books, namely:
- The Abundance Mentality
- From Tears to Cheers
- Corruption: A Tale of Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing and
- Youth Livelihood Programme for the Developing World
- Corona Chronicles
- Unchained: A public servant with a private sector mindset.
He is a passionate believer in charity and through the Clare Nsenga Foundation operates a not-for-profit Health Centre Three in Southern Uganda, Kyanika, Kisoro District bordering DR Congo and Rwanda. This Health Centre treats up to 12,000 patients annually at highly subsidised rates. He has also helped to construct St Peters Church Katarara, Katarara Primary School and Chahi Seed Secondary School.
Dr. Bigirimana, is married to Elizabeth Bigirimana with whom they live in Kampala, Uganda. They have children and grandchildren.