Who is Jennifer Semakula Musisi? Flash Uganda Media looks at her biography, early life, education, parents, marriage, husband and family of the first City Leader in Residence at Bloomberg Harvard City Leaders Initiative.
Jennifer Semakula Musisi is a Ugandan lawyer, public administrator and former Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director. She is the first City Leader in Residence at Bloomberg Harvard City Leaders Initiative at the Ash Center of the Harvard Kennedy School, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. She was appointed to this position in January 2019.
Musisi is a speaker, trainer, and mentor on leadership, institutional reform, urban development, corruption, youth empowerment, poverty alleviation, innovation and climate change.
She’s also an advocate and Commissioner for Oaths, Council Member Cities that Work, Senior Advisor International Growth Center, Member News Week, Visitor of Practice Blavatrik School of Government and a Commissioner International Development Infrastructure Commission DFID.
Musisi has strong leadership and management skills and vast experience in the public and private sector. Musisi was at the forefront of the Institutional Reforms and Restructuring Programme at URA that has made it a benchmark National Revenue Administration in Africa and beyond.
She played a key role in identifying personnel and building their leadership capacity. Many of these have now taken up key leadership positions in Uganda and beyond.
Musisi wasn’t a politician, that’s why it was because of politics that she gave up her job. She is a humble lady who liked to be called or referred to as Jennifer or Aunty Jenny but not ED or rather Mrs Musisi, just plain.
Jennifer Musisi – Early Life and Education
Jennifer Musisi was born in Kampala in the Central Region of Uganda, during the 1960s. She attended Tororo Girls School in Tororo District for her O-Level education. She then joined King’s College Buddo in Wakiso District for her A-Level studies.
She graduated from Buddo in 1982, at the top of her class. She served as deputy head prefect during her time at the mixed, boarding school.
In 1982, Jennifer Musisi entered Makerere University, Uganda’s oldest public institution, where she studied Law. She graduated in 1986 with the degree of Bachelor of Laws (LLB). The following year, she obtained the Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre (LDC) in Kampala, the capital of Uganda from 1985 to 1986.
Later, she obtained the degree of Master of Public Administration (MPA) and management from Makerere University between 1996 and 1997. She also has qualifications in management, taxation, and Law from several institutions including Harvard Law School, Harvard Business School and George Washington University in the United States.
Musisi during her school days says her mother at one point struggled with raising school fees and putting food on the table. She was a professional mother, working with government and a single mother.
Those who work with Government know how they do not pay well Musisi says, Sometimes, she would even go to school and tell the headmaster to be patient, the money was coming.
To supplement her income, she reared chicken and run a bakery. At some point, she had taxis, so, she did everything, all, in addition to her job. Because she was working so hard to get them through school, “I got inspiration from her”.
“I wanted to make her different struggles worthwhile; the sleepless nights, walking to various supermarkets with a huge basket of chicken and then going back to collect money for our fees. In primary school, coming third made me sad because I knew how she would be disappointed.”
So, Musisi’s target was to always be the first in class. Since she was also learning various skills from her, she became very practical, which she feels parents should also teach their children.
She once told me: “We may have the luxury of a maid or a car at home but it is no guarantee that when you grow up, you will also have the same. So, you need to be able to do everything that a maid would do or run any other kind of errand without a car. You need to get real, get a life and do what you need to do.”
With this kind of background, Musisi says her mother did a very good job because she raised four other of her siblings who are doing amazing things.
Jennifer Musisi – Work and Experience
Musisi briefly worked as a State Attorney in the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and moved on to become the Assistant Secretary Legal Affairs for Makerere University.
She was then appointed Head of Legal Services for the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA). Her position was then elevated to Commissioner Legal Services and Board Affairs in the same institution, a position in which she served with distinction for several years.
Together with Allen Kagina, Musisi led the formulation and implementation of the Institutional Reforms and Restructuring Programme at Uganda Revenue Authority.
In URA, Jennifer was involved in Policy formulation, legislating amendments and policy implementation at the Executive and Board levels including policy initiations financial planning and management.
Her role as Commissioner Legal Services and Board Affairs involved working closely with the Commissioner-General and the Senior Management Team, the Board of Directors and various stakeholders including Government Ministries, Tax Appeals Tribunal and personnel at the Uganda Judicial System.
Jennifer also worked with senior managers from the various countries forming the East African Community. This exposed her to the cross-cultural leadership dynamics.
Whilst working with the Uganda Revenue Authority, Jennifer Musisi worked to transform and build the URA Legal Firm into a highly successful and professional Department that has successfully defended URA both at national and international levels.
She was also involved in enhancing taxpayer compliance and proposing revenue related policies and practices.
During this period, she was responsible for originating several policies, like the whistle-blower policy, aimed at increasing integrity and stamping out corruption. One of her key achievements was the recovery of the 8-acre piece of land on which the URA headquarters stands today.
She was also the leader and key member of the team which oversaw the recovery of vast sums of tax monies owed to Government, including taxes accruing from oil exploration activities.
Her role as Commissioner-General Legal Services and Board Affairs also involved working closely with the Commissioner-General and the Senior Management Team, the Board of Directors and various stakeholders including government ministries, the Tax Appeals Tribunal and the Uganda judicial system.
In 2011, Jennifer Musisi was appointed by President Museveni as the first Executive Director of the Kampala Capital City Authority. She led the formulation and implementation of the transformation of the City Administration from a Local Government to a corporate entity under the Central Government.
In March 2014, her contract was renewed for another three years, to run from 15 April 2014 until 14 April 2017. Her contract was further renewed in April 2017, to run from 15 April 2017 until 14 April 2020.
However, on 15 October 2018, she tendered her resignation as KCCA Executive Director, effective 15 December 2018, citing inadequate funding and irreconcilable competing interests between the KCCA Technical Team and politicians that made it increasingly difficult to achieve the set transformational targets.
In her farewell speech, Musisi handed over 250 land titles belonging to KCCA, with 56 still being processed (total of 306 land title).
Currently, as the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative City Leader in Residence, Jennifer Musisi advises on the design of Bloomberg Harvard programming with a particular emphasis on programming for cities outside of the United States.
As the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative City Leader in Residence Jennifer Musisi plays a key role in contributing practitioner perspectives in the Bloomberg Harvard program, with a particular emphasis on programming for cities outside of the United States.
She serves as a resource for faculty, student, staff, and participating mayors and other city leaders, and shares insight and information on innovations, solutions, and approaches to common problems across cities. She is also the protagonist in many new case studies.
Jennifer is a transformational leader who has three decades of experience in turning around government institutions and systems in challenging settings. In 2011 she was appointed to serve as the first executive director of Kampala, the Capital City of Uganda (a role comparable to the mayor, chief executive or city manager).
In this capacity, she earned a global reputation for strong urban governance, organizational leadership, innovation, and building service delivery systems in institutions grappling with crippling corruption, limited financing and systemic dysfunction.
She also built teams, entered a partnership and mobilized significant funding to advance the city.
Jennifer Musisi was appointed Uganda’s ambassador for UN Sustainable Development Goal 11, focusing on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
After just one year in office, Kampala had started looking like a real city. Impressed with what Jennifer had done, President Museveni declared, on Women’s Day in 2012, that if he had 1,000 Jennifer’s, Uganda would be a very fine country, indeed.
Musisi recovered many of KACCA’s properties, including a house the former Mayor, Nasser Sebaggala, claimed he had sold to himself. When he refused to hand it over, she had him forcefully evicted.
Another very public confrontation was with General Tinyenfunza, who had turned a KCCA building into intelligence headquarters of sorts. Confronting an army general? That had never been heard of in Kampala, and we waited with bated breath what would happen to her, especially after he said on TV that, “I will arrest that women”.
But in the end, it was the General that blinked first. Then she took on the embedded corruption in KCCA, where she found more than 150 different accounts no one had known about, with more than $13m (sh45bn).
That was more than what the authority was collecting in annual revenue. She closed them all. By the time she left office, she had instituted a cashless system, where nobody lined up at KCCA offices to pay taxes or fess up to KCCA offices to pay taxes or fees but did everything remotely.
She also took on the mighty UTODA (Uganda Taxi Owners and Drivers Association), which regularly held the country to ransom whenever attempts were made to bring order to the taxi industry. But they were no match to Musisi, and they took blinked and went into oblivion. Street vendors were next, and they too were brought to order.
But under all the veneer of successes, there were problems. In cleaning up KCCA, she had stepped on many toes, and regularly received threats to her life. One time a grenade was placed under her car, but it was rendered safe by security.
There were also issues with budget cuts, which meant she could not fulfil the plans she had made. But because the KCCA was now run transparently, many donor bodies wanted to work with her, and with Government funding becoming less and less forthcoming, she nevertheless got funding for various city projects.
Then there were the very public disagreements with the lord mayor, Erias Lukwago, a fellow lawyer. He insisted that as the political head of the city. He had final authority, but she largely ignored him.
That impasse was never really resolved, although, with the new KCCA Act, the lord mayor’s role is what Musisi had always said, to wear the ceremonial robes and smile for the cameras.
And one battle she failed to win was the effort to get back Centenary Park, mainly due to the intervention of then trade minister, Amelia Kyambadde. Although Kyambadde would later apologize to Jennifer, the fate of Centenary Park remains in balance.
But in the end, it was politics that put paid to her efforts to make Kampala a real city. She was publically blamed for the ruling party’s poor showing in the 2016 elections and, as strong Christian as she is must have seen the writing on the wall. So she jumped before she could be pushed.
But now, without Musisi at the helm, the potholes are everywhere, even Kololo; the vendors are back on the streets, the city is disorganized ounce again.
Assassination attempt on Jennifer Musisi
During her inaugural speech at Ash Center, Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative in 2019, Musisi revealed that a grenade was one time found under her car while still serving as the KCCA Executive Director.
The centre is collaborating between Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Business School, and Bloomberg Philanthropies. She is the Inaugural City Leader in Residence with the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative.
This was the first time that Musisi disclosed an attempt to kill her. She spent seven years as KCCA’s first Executive Director. Musisi’ tenure was characterized by successes and confrontations with political leaders and different interest groups who felt threatened by her policies.
“One time a grenade was found under my car,” said Musisi. “It was shocking to see the extent to which the resistance could go – blow me up because I’m trying to organize the management and finances of the city.”
Musisi’s major confrontations were with government officials who she was chasing out of KCCA properties and various associations that were collecting tax on behalf of the institution. For instance, Uganda Taxi Operators and Drivers Association (UTODA) was collecting tax from taxi operators. Collection of duties of vendors in different markets had also been contracted.
“The agents that were collecting taxes for the city were very powerful….they felt an entitlement,” Musisi said. “They thought I was joking.”
The battles of who should collect tax took a legal direction where KCCA triumphed. Thereafter, Musisi recollected that deposed tax collectors turned to people telling them not to pay tax to “KCCA thieves.”
Musisi says these groups later “Started threatening our lives.” She added; “Why are they trying to kill me? I’m the good guy here. It was shocking to see the extent to which it could go, with violent attacks targeting my staff because we’re trying to organize the finances of the city.”
Musisi recalled that when she came to KCCA, she had to figure out how many people worked for the institution. She also had to tally up KCCA assets from real estate to bank accounts.
“No one knew how many assets the city has, so every other month we would discover another asset. I would write and say, “Hey, this belongs to the city, not you. Can we have it back?” Musisi said.
After tallying bank accounts, she discovered 151 previously unknown accounts belonging to the KCCA, holding over $3 million (UGX 48bn), a staggering sum for a city that was at the time collecting only $ 1 million (UGX 41.2bn) in annual tax revenues.
Museveni nominates Dorothy Kisaka to replace Jennifer Musisi as KCCA ED
President Yoweri Museveni recently directed for replacement of Jennifer Musisi, former Executive Director of Kampala Capital City Authority’s (KCCA), who resigned in 2018.
“I am writing to request you to interview…the following persons and find out whether they are suitable to man the indicated offices in Kampala City Authority,” reads Museveni’s letter to Justice Ralph Ochan, the Chairman of the Public Service Commission.
The President’s letter asked the Public Service Commission to interview Dorothy Kisaka as the New Executive Director KCCA.
The KCCA Act gives the President powers to appoint the Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director and Directors.
President Museveni, in the letter to the Public Service Commission, revealed that the new KCCA nominations were informed by integrity considerations.
“We have used integrity hunting to identify the persons mentioned above. With regards to all other vacant positions, they should be filled by advertising utilizing your system. You should do the interviewing for the City Council Authority,” Museveni wrote. June 13 2020
Achievements
In her career at the helm of the various public institutions, Musisi has led several teams to register numerous successes, some of which are highlighted below.
- Established the Uganda Employment Service Bureau and Skills Development Centre
- Initiated the I-serve program for skilling Young graduates
- Established the Kyanja Agricultural Resource Centre of Excellence for Urban Agriculture
- Established the Kyanja Concrete Yard for Infrastructure Projects
- Introduced Specialized Services in KCCA Health centres including a Renal Unit in Kisenyi Health Centre, 10 Dental Units
- Constructed maternity units in Kawaala and Kitebi Health Centers
- Upgraded Kawempe and Kiruddu Health centres to 200-bed Referral Hospitals
- Established 6 Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies for KCCA Technical Staff, KCCA Health Workers, KCCA Teachers, KCCA Drivers, KCCA Law Enforcement and KCCA Waste Workers)
- Established the Annual Kampala City Festival
- Established the Kampala Sunday Street Market
- Constructed the 2000-capacity Wandegeya Market
- Procured and initiated the more than 6-acre USAFI market and Transport Terminal Complex
- Held the Inaugural East and Central African Cities Development Forum
- Restarted the Passenger Rail Services
- Established the Kampala Water and Sanitation Forum
- Established the Kampala Migration Forum
- Established the Kampala Solid Waste Management Private Sector Platform
- Initiated the Kampala Street Naming, House Numbering and Addressing Project
- Established new and specialized Business Units in Kampala including the Land Management Unit, Risk Management Unit and Client Care
- Established award-winning Social Media Platforms for KCCA
- Held the only Future of Cities Forum in Africa
- Established the Kampala Climate Change Action Plan
- Oversaw the formulation of the Kampala Climate-Smart Capital Investment Plan
- Revamped the Kabalagala Youth Center
- Revamped the KCCA Football Club into a Continental Powerhouse
- Constructed the Philip Omondi Stadium as the first FIFA-certified Astro-turf Stadium in Uganda
- Established the East African Customs Union and law
Recognition and awards
Musisi has been the recipient of numerous prestigious International, Regional and National awards on urban transformation projects as well as African City Leaders on issues of the urban international speaker on matters of sustainable urban transformation. Some of the awards and honours she has received include:
- Honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Humanities: United Graduate College, US, January 2016.
- IHS Alumni International Urban Professional Award – Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 2018
- African Virtuous Women Awards: African Agent of Change 2018, Abuja
- Grand Global Award for Integrity and Excellence in Leadership Training USA, 2016
- Country Winner (Agencies and Regulatory Authorities Sector) CEO Global Africa’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government Award 2015/16
- Regional Winner (Agencies and Regulatory Authorities Sector) CEO Global Africa’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government Award 2015/16
- The governance Award – African Leadership Award and Medal of Honor in Business New York 2018
- Selected as one of the 100 Exceptional Leader in the Commonwealth 2014-15
- Paul Harris Awards 2013 and 2014 from the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International
- Vocational Award 2012/2013 for Dedicated and Selfless Service from the Rotary Club of Sunrise Kampala
- Certificate of Appreciation from Inspirational Development Uganda
- Appreciation award – Makerere University 82nd Guild Uganda.
- Airtel Women of Substance Award 2013 for outstanding Contribution to Uganda’s Public Service
- Inspirational Women of Uganda Award for Exemplary Leadership – 2013
- Philadelphia Michael A. Nutter – August/September 2012
- Medal of Achievement for Distinguished Service to the Nation – King’s College, Buddo – 2008
- Award for Best Performing Student at King’s College Buddo – UCE 1982
- National Awards as the 4th Best Performing Student in Uganda – UACE
Memberships/fellowships/Associations
- An advocate of the High Court of Uganda and all Courts subordinate
- Commissioner for Oaths
- Member of the Uganda Law Society
- Honorary Member of the Uganda Society of Architects
- Council Member of Cities that Work Organization
- Uganda’s Ambassador for UN Sustainable Development Goal 11
Jennifer Semakula Musisi – Family
Jennifer Semakula Musisi is married and a mother. She’s married to Frederick Musisi and together they have children. Musisi who is better known for going about her work without fear or favour appreciates her husband saying;
If you talk of men who are promoting women, then, my husband is one. He has been there encouraging, praying and telling me that I can do it.
He accepts me as I am because men can tend to fear highly educated women who happen to be go-getters. He asks me to go for the top and reach for the skies. He has made such a huge difference in my life.
Musisi perhaps likes spending more time with the people who matter. She travels a lot but has learnt to prioritize her family. “Otherwise, I would not be able to see my children or husband or read the document that I need to read before meetings.”
Other than her official activities, Musisi lives a normal life. She does stuff that other women do.
“At home, I cook, clean, look out for cobwebs and I like gardening. I do not like farming though because my mother once said that if you want to get poor, bury your money in a farm.”
Musisi spends as much time as she can at home, which helps her balance her roles as a woman. “As you go higher, there are cocktails, parties, events, meetings, seminars and so many other things that take up your time.”
“You need to decide on the most important things you need to do so that, you balance that with the rest of your life. I’m happily married.”
Musisi’s body complexion
Exercising and avoiding stress is very important.
Leisure time
- Looking after her family
- Cleaning
- Decorating her house
Musisi talks about her mother
One of the things people always ask me is where I came from? Sometimes, I feel like I just popped out of the woodwork myself because four years ago, no one knew me. I was raised by a single mother and I think she did a very good job because she raised four others and they are all doing amazing things.
There may be other single mothers out there struggling with two or three children and probably thinking they will never make it and are getting into all sorts of situations because they think they need help. You can do it if you are confident and determined.
My mother taught me how to do everything. She was very hardworking and would spend a lot of time making us work and one time I thought; Maybe she is my stepmother; she just treats me so badly! She makes me wake up very early, makes me work all day and forces me to do things I do not want to do.’ But I’m so glad now that the things she taught me made me what I am today.
She also taught me that if you are going to be a good leader, you should be able to do everything or at least understand what your subordinates do. Otherwise, you will not be able to instruct or tell them what to do.
When I go back home for instance, after work, and I find the kitchen sink full of dirty dishes, I will take off my shoes and get to work before I even go to the bedroom because I am so oriented to being practical.
And by doing that, I’m leading by example. I’m one of those people who have had my house help for 22 years now because I have been mentoring, sharing, training and working beside her.
The most significant thing I can relate my perspectives, attitudes and my entire life is accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior when I was in secondary school and never looking back.
The purpose, strength, confidence, faith, the feeling that I have a purpose and destiny in life, there is a reason I am here; I’m serving the big guy up there and He is looking after me and He is my God. That was my turning point.
Do some people wonder about what makes me so resilient and brave? It is only the confidence and strength that only God can give us and the ability to overcome a lot of storms.
What you read in the newspapers is just a tiny part of what happens. It is just a blast being in my position. It just gets very fascinating and sometimes, you are thinking, “Wow! Will I survive this time? And I say yes, I shall survive and I keep going and the results keep coming.”
Most regret
When my parents were alive, I was so busy. I was travelling and sometimes our relationship was reduced to phone calls or sending a driver to them with things. And even when I got time to see them, I would be scrolling through my iPad checking messages.
I wish I had spent more time with my mother. She is now gone. That is the one thing that I regret. Many times, she would tell me that was me she wanted to see, not the things I sent her. So, take the time to spend quality time with your parents when they are still alive because once they are gone, they are gone.
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