Dr Imelda Kashaija
Chairperson, ASARECA General Assembly Business Committee
Dr. Kashaija was elected the Chairperson of the ASARECA General Assembly Business Committee during the Business Committee meeting in Entebbe, Uganda in May 2023. Dr. Kashaija has over 34 years’ in agricultural research for development. She rose through the ranks from a scientific officer back in 1985 to become the Deputy Director General in charge of Agricultural Technology Promotion (2012 to 2020) in Uganda’s apex research body, the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO). This portfolio gave her the opportunity to deputize the Director General and provide leadership in the planning, coordination and implementation of programs for promotion and commercialization of NARO generated technologies. Before this, she served NARO as Ag. Director, Quality Assurance (March 2012 – June 2012); and Director of Research, Kachwekano Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute after serving as Centre Manager. Dr. Kasaija’s focus has been in plant pest and disease management. She has practical experience in research for development, participatory planning, monitoring and evaluation, and project management. She is currently serving as the Principal Documentation Officer, a role that she took up in 2020 after expiry of her mandatory term in senior management. Dr Kashaija has a PhD in Agriculture—Plant Nematology and an M.Sc in the Technology of crop protection both obtained from the University of Reading, UK. These qualifications were subsequent to her B.Sc (Hons) degree in Zoology and Botany.