Anne Nankanja Gitta Kahumuza is the section head of civil at Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited. She talks to Fred Mwambu about the journey it has been to get to where she is and how she leads her teams through change.

Briefly tell us about your background.
I’m a mother of four girls and a civil engineer by profession. I currently head the civil engineering section at Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL) at Nalubaale and Kiira Power Station.
I studied in Nabisunsa and Namagunga girls’ schools. I hold a building and civil engineering degree, although I did a diploma first and used the longer route.

Can you share your journey to becoming section head Civil at UEGCL?
After my internships with the National Housing and Construction Corporation and Stirling [Civil Engineering Ltd], I joined ACARS International Limited.
That’s the company that was in charge of the construction of Kiira Power Station, one of the flagship projects that happened in Uganda. Remember, the previous power plant had been constructed in 1954.
So I worked there for about two years with my key role as a supervisor, supervising the contractor. From there, I joined UEGCL where I worked for two years before Eskom took over. I joined Eskom as a civil technician and I went up the ranks very fast until I reached the Section Head Civil.
In the process, I had to go back and study for a bachelor’s degree because it was one of the requirements for the role.

How did you strike the life-school-work balance?
It was a tough one because at that time, I was staying in Jinja but studying in Kampala and that’s about the same time when I now had a family. I had to manage the family, the job and the studies.
The studies were being funded by the employer, so the employer allowed me to study and also to work. If I dropped work, I would lose the studies. If I dropped the studies, I would lose the work.
I had to manage the two. I give credit to my family, my husband (RIP) who strongly supported me on that and the employer who gave me time off to study. But also, it had to take a lot of hard work to accept the scenario.

What’s your core role at UEGCL?
My leadership is pivotal to maintaining the Nalubaale and Kiira Power Stations, Uganda’s hydropower linchpins.
With a robust foundation in strategic management, my focus is on extending the plants’ operational lifespan and ensuring dam safety, key aspects of our nation’s energy sustainability.

What challenges have you faced, and how do you manage your team effectively in this role?
First of all, when a new member gets onto my team, I have to explain the core roles of the civil engineering team and the risks involved because our job is very high risk.
I need to explain why they are here and what I expect from them and they need to give me assurances that they are ready for the task. Then I ask them, what their expectation is as well.
I’m not fond of micromanaging so I always assign roles. When I assign roles, I make sure there’s a system to track performance, expect feedback and activity.
The other thing I expect from them is good collaboration because no one is an island. We all have to work together and communicate.
Another thing I have learned over the years, is that for you to get a promotion to leadership, you must be able to mentor and train someone who is going to take up your current role.
What are some of the most notable projects you have worked on and what impact have they had?
Currently, I’m handling the restoration of the river bank project. This is a project that will cause stability of the embankment dam so that we are able to manage the flow of water within the dam structure.
This will affect the efficiency of generating power within the Nalubaale and Kiira Hydro-power plants. Key to note is that these civil structures are the core; should they fail you’ll have lost the entire plant so we have to always be there physically.

How do you ensure your team stays motivated and aligned with UEGCL’s goals?
Motivation. I always try to make sure my team has something new to learn and then I encourage them. Whenever they learn new things, I challenge them as well.
Those are things that keep them on their toes because many people get bored with a job if they have to do the same thing over and over again and they’re not learning anything new.

How do you see Uganda progressing in terms of gender inclusivity in engineering and STEM fields? What can companies like UEGCL do to promote gender diversity and empower women in engineering?
Well, there’s a notable difference in what has been transpiring within Uganda with policies put in place. Companies have also come up to support. You’ve seen that whenever Unesco puts up these policies, many organisations embrace them and are really working towards supporting government in this. Currently, UEGCL has 25 percent female [workers] of which 40 percent are in technical roles so they’re embracing it.

What advice would you give to young girls hesitant about pursuing STEM careers?
I think the young girls need to be sensitised right from the word go so that they appreciate it. They need to see what the truth is.
I’ve seen at university engineering students dressing in suits but I think they should be encouraged more to embrace the fields even in their dressing at a much earlier stage.
We also need to increase the internship period and more of the practical bits while at school.
I would encourage young girls that engineering is practical and very interesting. Things change every year so you can’t get bored. The beauty about engineering is when you put up something today, you will see your efforts and energy benefiting people for ages. That’s what gives someone pride.

Beyond work, what’s something that brings you joy and helps you recharge?
I am involved in a lot of charity work especially supporting ladies who are less fortunate. In the process, I grow my network while supporting others.

What has been the most fulfilling moment of your career so far?
I have mentored young girls and some of them have actually grown beyond where I am. I feel very proud seeing where they are when I remember that they were arrived in my hands fresh from school.

How do you adapt to changes and how do you guide your team through these transitions?
You must understand that whatever you do in life, change must happen whether you want it or not. I like change because I feel it brings a new opportunity.
DWhen I anticipate change, I try to understand what it is and then see how best I can benefit from it and find a way of managing the risks.
It is the same thing I do with my teams and prepare them for it. We had a change of employer from UEGCL to Eskom previously and then back.
It’s something that you have to anticipate and discuss your way through. Mostly it demands that you keep enhancing your knowledge and improving as a person.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE…
Your favourite colour
I like purple because it is seen as a colour for royals, is related to holiness and it’s a bright colour.

What is your oldest possession?
There’s a curtain that I have in my house. I bought and have had it from the day I started working.

What is something that you’ve learned recently?

To go slowly with young girls when trying to advise them. Not to force your way onto them. Because they’ve been exposed to a lot more than what I was exposed to when I was at their age.
Also to listen to them.

What is something that you don’t want to ever do again?
To take a decision on a civil structure without having quantified the risk associated with that
decision.