Uganda LAWA Fellow 1993-1994 L.L.B. Hons., Makerere University, Kampala Uganda Diploma in Legal Practice, The Law Development Centre, Kampala L.L.M., Georgetown University Law Center S.J.D. Candidate American Washington College of Law Email: ek6238a@american.edu Placement: National Women's Law Center

Affiliations: LAW Uganda UGANET FIDA-U Makerere University

Profile:

Ms. Kisaakye is currently attending American University’s Washington College of Law as a participant in their S.J.D program. She is focusing her doctoral studies on Women and Employment Discrimination in Uganda. H er field research takes place in Uganda, where she also serves as president of the Uganda Network on Law, Ethics, and HIV/AIDS (UGANET), an NGO that she helped establish and has worked with for the past 10 years.

In 2006 she was elected as the Vice Chairperson of the Uganda Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

LAWA Experience:

Ms. Kisaakye completed her graduate thesis: “Changing the Terms of the Debate,” dealing with polygamy in East Africa and strategies for improving legal discourse. In addition she wrote a paper entitled, “Women and HIV Transmission in Uganda: An Evaluation of the Safer Sex Strategies” for the HIV/AIDS Policy & Dispute Resolution Seminar, Georgetown University Law Center in 1994.

For her fellowship internship she worked with the National Women’s Law Center.

Other Work Experience:

After the Fellowship, Ms. Kisaakye resumed her post on the Executive Committee of FIDA-Uganda as Vice Chairperson. In April, 1995 she opened her own law firm: Mayambala – Kisaakye and Co. Advocates. That same year she was commissioned by FIDA-Uganda to study 5 African countries and the changes that have taken place in the status of women in the last 10 years.

Ms. Kisaakye co-founded LAW-Uganda (Leadership and Advocacy for Women) with Algresia Akwa-Ogojo, Dora Byamukama, Regina Mutyaba, and Kulsum Wakabi in 1997. She operated as a Legal Advisor to the Vice President of Uganda from 1996-1999 and spent one year as visiting scholar at GULC in the International Women’s Rights Clinic.

Ms. Kisaakye helped establish the Uganda Network on Law, Ethics & HIV/AIDS (UGANET), which she has been working with for more than 10 years.  She was a chairperson from 1999 to March 2005, when she became its Executive Director. The NGO has been involved in advocacy, capacity building and legal empowerment around the area of HIV/AIDS & Human Rights. In addition, she has worked to set up an Orphan’s Support Fund as part of the UGANET initiative.

In December 2001 she was elected to the board of Uganda AIDS Commission (UAC), and from 2000-2003, she lectured at Makerere University on gender rights.

Publications:

 “Women, Human Rights, and Family Law in East Africa.”  ZED, (2002). 

“Changing the Terms of the Debate to Resolve the Polygamy Question in Africa” East African Journal of Peace & Human Rights 200, vol. 3:2 (1997)

Consultancy Report on the legal aspects of a short term consultancy by the Uganda Aids Commission (1997).

“Women's Human Rights in Uganda: An Evaluation of the Ten years of the NRM Government”, paper presented at the Makerere University, Faculty of Law Conference (Dec.1996).

“The Struggle for Gender Equality: The Real Issues” Paper presented at the Makerere Law Society Fealsa Conference, Makerere University (1996).