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Death Announcement and Tribute: Rest in peace our beloved Executive Director, Gideon Badagawa

DEATH ANNOUNCEMENT AND TRIBUTE TO THE LATE GIDEON BADAGAWA (RIP)

The Board, Management and Staff of the Private Sector Foundation (PSFU) with deep sorrow announce the death of their Executive Director, Mr. Gideon Badagawa. Mr. Badagawa passed away this morning of Monday 21st, June 2021 at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Uganda’s capital, Kampala.

Gideon, as he was fondly called, was jointly admitted to hospital, with his wife, Susan Birungi Badagawa, two weeks ago after testing positive for Covid19.

He is survived by two daughters Anita and Nina Badagawa.

The Chairman PSFU, Hon. Dr. Elly Karuhanga, said this morning, “We are shocked at the death of Gideon. He was a dedicated, visionary, steady hand of the private sector.”

The PSFU’s Vice Chairperson Hon. Victory Ssekitoleko said this about Gideon, “We have lost our Kabona Wauife (problem solver). Gideon was a brilliant, hardworking and very supportive leader. We are still devastated.”

PSFU’s Deputy Executive Director, Mr. Francis Kisirinya when contacted said, “We are still in shock at the passing of our brother, a great icon of the private sector in Uganda. He was hardworking, versatile, a motivator, and a confidant. The family, PSFU, the private sector and the country has lost a great man.”  

Mr. Badagawa was born on May 8th, 1966 in Kigulu. He started his primary school in Iganga Boys School from 1973 – 1979.  He went for his level in Busoga College Mwiri from 1979 -1983 and thereafter to Makerere College for A’level from 1984-86. He undertook his undergraduate degree course at Makerere University where he graduated with an upper second-class honors degree in Statistics in 1986-1991. 

Mr. Badagawa later did a Master’s Degree in Development Economics from the University of Rotterdam's Institute of Social Studies at The Hague in the Netherlands (1995). He later did a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Management from the Maastricht School of Management 1998, in the Netherlands and attended several courses in economics and the environment including “Statistics for Environmental Policy” at the Munich Centre for Advanced Training, in Germany 1996.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

  • Worked with Public Service as a Statistician, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. 1992-1993.
  • Business and economic Instructor at the institute of Data Processing, Kampala 1993.
  • Since 1992-2000, Mr. Badagawa had taught at the department of Planning and Applied Statistics - ISAE, Makerere University in the fields of Development Economics and Planning. He also taught Biostatistics at Faculty of Bio Statistics. He also taught National Accounting and Income Analysis at Masters Level at Makerere.
  • He worked with PSFU from 2000-2008, as Senior Policy Analyst, Manager Policy Advocacy, Director for Policy Advocacy.
  • He served at Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) from 2008- Jan 2010 as Executive Director.

Mr Badagawa later returned to PSFU as Executive Director from 2nd January 2010 until Monday 21st June, 2021. He has served at PSFU for 19 years.

Mr Badagawa has also served on various boards and councils. He was in the following areas:

  • Chairman Competitiveness and Investment Climate Strategy (CICS) Design Team 2011-2014.
  • Vice Chairman, and board Member NEMA (2013-2016).
  • Co-Secretary to the Presidential Investors’ Roundtable (PIRT).
  • Member of the Board of Uganda Energy Credit Capitalization Company Limited.
  • Member of the Board of the National Planning Authority (NPA).
  • Member of the Board of the Warehouse Receipts Authority (UWRA).
  • Member of the Board of the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC).
  • Member of the Business Licensing Reform Committee (BLRC).
  • Member of the Financial Markets Development Committee.
  • Member of the Competitiveness and Investment Climate Strategy (CICS) Steering Committee.
  • Member of the Financial Markets Development Committee coordinated by Bank of Uganda.
  • He participated in the design of CEDP where he has also been Chair of the CEDP technical committee and secretary of the CEDP steering committee

His work in Policy and Advocacy: He undertook policy research analysis in advocacy in various areas of concern for business and private sector growth, synthesizing these concerns and develop policy position papers. These positions formed basis for dialogue with government on policy reforms required to improve the business environment in Uganda.

Additionally, through the Enterprise Skills Linkages programme under the World Bank-funded Private sector competitiveness project 2005- 2009, Mr Badagawa successfully coordinated the various training programmes focused on youths’ enterprises to improve their entrepreneurial abilities and market competitiveness. This also included mind-set change for young entrepreneurs.

He coordinated Private sector participation in the Poverty Eradication Action Plan (PEAP) revision process supported by DFID in 2003. He also coordinated the development of market-oriented coffee sector strategy for Uganda (funded by The World Bank) which aimed at strengthening supply-to-market linkages.

He was a part of the implementation team for running World Bank-funded Private Sector Competitiveness Project (PSCP II) with particular emphasis on promoting public-private-partnerships to improve the business environment in Uganda.

He coordinated the implementation of the Skills Development Facility (SDF), a component of the Government of Uganda project on skills development to support and promote employer-led short-term training for workers, as well as enhancing national capacities for internships, apprenticeships and industrial training. More than 35,000 youths have so far been trained under this programme in various fields.

He also coordinated the MasterCard-funded projects, an intervention focusing on creating, maintaining and sustaining growth in job markets through strengthening the capacity of value-chain actors to efficiently produce and sell their goods and services in expanded markets. The programme also aims developing new diversified financing mechanisms as well as growing the capacity of leaders and their support service providers to manage and expand their enterprises.

Under the Covid-19 Economic Recovery and Resilience Response Project (CERRUP), Mr. Badagawa championed efforts of the Government of Uganda in controlling the spread of COVID-19. This project augments the survival, recovery and resilience of enterprises impacted by the negative economic effects of COVID-19.

As the Executive Director PSFU Gideon has undertaken the following assignments;

  • Lead person in policy research and advocacy. He pursued a mandate of advising government on policy issues affecting private sector dialogue.
  • Representation of the private sector/business community on the policy platform and throughout the policy making processes.
  • Coordination of capacity development initiatives for business associations and enterprises.
  • Worked with NGOs, the civil society groups and development partners to ensure good governance and accountability across Government and Non-Government actors.
  • Lobbied and carried out policy advocacy with government and development partners in a manner that informs and strengthens public policy for business growth and improved livelihoods among families and communities.
  • Institutionalized the partnership between Government, the private sector and Uganda’s development partners including the World Bank, African Development Bank (ADB), UK-AID, the European Union, the Ban Van Leer Foundation the UNDP, GIZ Endev and the MasterCard Foundation.
  • Oversaw the operations and represented the interests of the East African Business Council (EABC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) here in Uganda, PSFU being the National focal point for both regional groups in Uganda.

As a champion of the fight against Corona Gideon together with PSFU partners launched a campaign dubbed “Tugobe Corona. Wear A Mask!” in October 2020. The campaign was aimed at sensitizing and creating awareness among Ugandans to share information on the benefits of wearing a mask and wearing it correctly at all times to keep Covid-19 at bay.

 

Details of his send-off will be communicated later.

Gideon will be dearly missed by the Private Sector and all of humanity.

May his soul rest in eternal peace.