UGANDACF - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Project Officer - Living With Wildlife
- Project Officer for the Living With Wildlife Programme
: Augustine Opolot joined UCF in 2022 as Project Officer for the Living with Wildlife Programme. Augustine has a Masters and Bachelor Degree in Development Studies, and a Certificate in Project Monitoring. Since 2021 Augustine has worked in West Nile and Karamoja, with a particular focus on ‘Adolescent livelihood and reproductive health rights project for the refugees and the host communities' with BRAC. Prior to this he worked for the Ministry of Water as a Capacity Development Officer for an EU project ‘Enhancing resilience of communities to climate change through catchment based integrated management of water and related resources'. Augustine started his career as an Operations Manager for an Oxfam funded project to Bee Natural Uganda Ltd, supporting Integrated Apiculture for Enhanced Environmental Conservation Project in West Nile.
Job Titles:
- Community Development Officer
: Charles joined UCF in April 2022, working to implement the PACE education in the communities around Murchison Falls National Park. Before UCF he worked with Soft Power Education as a community mobilizer, organizing the community members for various projects including poultry keeping and tree planting. Charles also worked as a field officer with for Dr Joanna Hill monitoring elephants and crop raiding incidents in the north of Murchison Falls, supporting UWA with management-orientated research to help mitigate human wildlife conflict.
Job Titles:
- Project and Community Officer
Dennis Turyaheebwa - Project and Community Officer: Denis joined UCF in 2021 as a Project Officer and has been a core member of the UWA / UCF Lion Protection & Community Development team in Queen Elizabeth NP. The son of a Ranger in Queen Elizabeth NP, Denis and has spent his life in conservation, community development, problem animal control and tourism. Denis trained in Tourism and Hotel Management before enlisting in Uganda Wildlife Authority as a Law Enforcement & Community Conservation Ranger. Denis is also an Alumnus of the International Law Enforcement Academy in Gaborone Botswana where he trained in crime scene management and wildlife trafficking investigations.
Job Titles:
- Project & Procurement Manager
Derek Lubangakene - Project & Procurement Manager: Derek is a diligent and results-driven project management professional with five years' experience in protected area management and programme management. Prior to joining UCF, he worked in humanitarian aid, procurement and corporate brand management. He now manages park management and community livelihood projects across Kidepo Valley, Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks. He has a great love for conservation, and is inspired to create a sustainable and lasting legacy for wildlife conservation in Uganda.
Job Titles:
- Forestry & Community Development Officer
: Elisa has worked with UCF since 2019 as Forestry and Community Development Officer. He is an experienced and hands on conservationist and holds a Bachelor of Science in Conservation Forestry and Product Technology from Makerere University. He has spent most of his work life with organisations that aim at landscape restoration and sustainable agriculture. He has been part of projects that have grown, planted and managed over one hundred thousand indigenous trees in different communities. Elisa aims to plant over one million trees in Uganda by 2025, and to complete his Master's degree in Forestry.
Job Titles:
- Project & Development Officer
: Innocent Komakech is a wildlife biologist who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Health & Management from Makerere University. He has experience in wildlife management and community conservation from working in Kidepo Valley, Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth Conservation Areas. In KVNP, Innocent participated in deployments of rangers, logistical support to ranger outposts, monitoring animals and habitat health, data collection and analysis and was involved in community sensitization and mobilization. Innocent established strong social network with staffs of the park and the community.
Jimmy Kisembo - Project Manager: Jimmy manages the Carnivore & Scavenger programme field work across Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and Kidepo Valley Protected Areas, and is based in Queen Elizabeth NP. Prior to joining UCF, Jimmy was an accomplished Law Enforcement Ranger with UWA in Queen Elizabeth NP, at the rank of Sergeant. Jimmy grew up around QEPA, and has spent his life involved in wildlife conservation, determined to save the voiceless creatures within and outside the major protected areas of Uganda. His passion for conservation is driven by the dwindling number of carnivore population and their prey amidst the very increasing human population. Jimmy is a skilled off road driver, ranger training instructor and manages the Lion Protection and Response Unit in QEPA.
John B. Kabandize (Director) John holds an LL. B (Hons) Degree and a Post - Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice. He is currently admitted to practise law as an Advocate, a Commissioner for Oaths and a Notary Public in Uganda. John has been in private legal practice for over 15 years. He specialises in Commercial Law, Land Transactions and Environment and Natural Resources laws. John has acted for and advised various international and domestic clients in commercial law transactions. He also practices environmental and natural resources law and has acted as Legal Consultant and Researcher in major legal consulting assignments. John has also previously advised various clients on land acquisition and resettlements and has also advised on setting up of private or community conservancies and on their legal and regulatory framework in Uganda. He also acts as company secretary for, sits on Boards of, and advises various private companies some of which are engaged in tourism and conservation.
Job Titles:
- Marketing, Communications & Technology Officer
: Joshua manages our marketing and communications, and supports conservation technology in our projects in the national parks. He is passionate about the power that technology has to transform the way organizations operate and to change people's lives, and the opportunities that the internet unlocks. He has over 10 years experience working in technology, marketing and communications, and has worked on campaigns for some of the biggest players in various sectors including beverages, telecoms, insurance and FMCGs. His lifelong passion for technology and work journey have opened doors for him to share knowledge and experiences at conferences, seminars, and mentorship programs for the youth.
He holds a Bachelor of Information Systems and Technology degree and certifications in Digital Marketing and Data Analytics and is pursuing a MSc Cyber Security and Digital Forensics degree.
Kevin Vallack (Director) Kevin has had a long and varied career in Law Enforcement. He worked for 22 years as a police officer in the UK Police Service and with Her Majesty's Government in the UK. As a detective he was involved in investigating serious and complex crime, including financial investigations. He later joined Special Branch and subsequently the Home Office where he was pivotal in conducting and managing counter terrorism operations, specializing in the management of covert human intelligence operations in the UK and abroad. Kevin also has solid African experience. He has worked in Botswana, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Namibia, Zambia and Mozambique, delivering training programmes and consulting and mentoring law enforcement teams on matters regarding intelligence, investigations and other aspects of law enforcement and prosecution. He is currently consulting to the UNODC on a part time basis, primarily involved in improving training curricula and the delivery of law enforcement related training and mentoring under the Global Wildlife and Forestry Crime programme, focused heavily on Southern and Eastern Africa.
Lamé Verre (Trustee) Lamé holds an MBA from Imperial College, a Post-Grad in Corporate Finance from the London Business School, a Masters in Energy, Environmental Management and Economics from the Eni corporate University, Italy and a B.Sc. in Economics and Statistics from the University of Benin, Nigeria. She is an experienced Oil & Gas executive with 20 years' experience working across the industry value chain in several geographies. Until recently, she was the Senior Regional Manager Treasury for Europe, Eurasia, and Sub-Saharan Africa (EESSA) at Halliburton. Before joining Halliburton, Lamé founded Alaric & Associates, an independent Oil & Gas consulting firm focused on upstream and midstream sectors. She also co-Founded ScanTech International; a service company focused on Oil & Gas pipeline construction and rehabilitation solutions. Prior to becoming an Entrepreneur, Lamé started her career with ENI E&P as a Petroleum Economist working in Italy and Nigeria, before relocating to the UK where she held several instrumental positions for companies such as Sterling Energy Plc, E.ON E&P and Baker Hughes. After over a decade of core upstream focus, Lamé moved into Oil & Gas consulting when she joined Gaffney, Cline & Associates (a subsidiary of Baker Hughes) as a Senior Commercial Consultant in London and subsequently serving in the Houston office as Manager Petroleum Economics for the Americas. Lame currently sits on the board of trustee for Uganda Conservation Foundation, a charity set up to support wildlife populations through investing in key infrastructure, such as ranger posts, marine ranger stations and veterinary labs.
Job Titles:
- Chartered Accountant
- Treasurer
) Marcus Warry is a Chartered Accountant with many years of experience auditing SME's in London and around the U.K. He also started his own cloud-based Accountancy Practice called Archie & Doris, which utilised the latest technologies to support flexible working and to give better insight and value to clients. Marcus has many years of experience in charity fundraising for clients like Blue Cross, Oxfam & Childline and has been a finance trustee of award-winning organisations. Marcus helped UCF in 2020 with the first wildlife ranger challenge and developed a keen interest in conservation and the challenges faced to safeguard Uganda's wildlife. Marcus lives in Uganda now, and Is passionate about sports development, art and conservation, with a particular interest in reforestation.
Job Titles:
- Finance & Administration Manager
Martin Ssesanga - Finance & Administration Manager: Martin started with UCF in 2016 and is the Finance & Administration Manager. Over the years Martin has managed the accounts and compliance for UCF, including organisations audits, independent reviews for the UK Charities Commission, compliance with URA and project financial management. Martin holds a Bachelor's degree in Commerce and is a member of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountant (ACCA) (UK). Prior to UCF Martin worked for four years as an external auditor with Jim Roberts and Associates CPA including auditing organisations such as Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Uganda Railway Corporation (URC) and many EU related projects.
Michael Keigwin MBE (Trustee) is the Founding Trustee of UCF and has worked in Uganda since 1997. Michael's love for Uganda stems from his uncle being a warden in Murchison Falls National Park in the 1960s. Prior to UCF, Michael developed and ran the Elephants, Crops and People project in southern Queen Elizabeth National Park. In 2006 Michael returned to the UK to carry out an MBA at Durham University obtaining a Distinction grade, and then joined Deloitte's strategy group in London. In 2012 Michael returned to Uganda to support the Uganda Wildlife Authority recovery Murchison Falls from poaching and support the development of the region. Michael owns and runs various businesses in Uganda and continues to support his passion for sport through Kyadondo Rugby Club where he is Vice Chair. In 2016 Michael was awarded an MBE for services to conservation.
Job Titles:
- Construction and Youth Skill Development Officer
Nickson Watham - Construction and Youth Skill Development Officer: Nickson has worked int he construction industry for 30 years, including for leading companies such as Mutoni Construction. Over the past four years, Nickson has designed and led, in partnership with Pacer Community College, a large variety of vocational college courses, including bricklaying, metal fabrication, industrial painting, guttering and water tank installation, building renovation and construction. Nickson has also hosted over 50 apprenticeship positions for UCF across very many Mutoni and UCF projects. Projects completed by Nickson have included the Law Enforcement & Operations Centre, seven ranger posts, and all radio towers in Murchison Falls National Park. Nickson is also an incredibly valuable mentor to UCF's youth development scheme.
Prof Colin Chapman - Technical Advisor: Colin Chapman has worked informally with UCF for several years but joined us formally as a Scientific Advisor in 2022. Colin received his joint Ph.D. in the Dept. of Anthropology and Zoology at the University of Alberta, served as a faculty member in Biology at the University of Florida for 11 years, then moved to McGill University where he held a Canada Research Chair. He is a Killam Research Fellow, a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a fellow at Humboldt Foundation, holds an Office of an Academician, Northwest University, Xi'an, China, and holds honourary faculty positions at University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa and Makerere University, Uganda. In 2022 he moved to Vancouver Island University in Canada, where he is ranked the top Ecology and Evolution Scientist in the country having published over 550 scientific papers. For the last 33+ years, Colin has worked in Kibale National Park. During this time, he has not just been an academic, but has devoted great effort to help the rural communities, establishing schools, clinics, a mobile clinic, and ecotourism projects. His work on the union of health and conservation led to a Humanitarian Award from the Velan Foundation.
Rachel is an lawyer with vast experience in human rights and advocacy, legal and policy reforms and justice sector reforms having managed reform programmes and worked in the areas of legal and policy development and human rights protection and enforcement. She has worked in organisations focusing on legal aid, human rights and law reform and economic, social and cultural rights with a specific interest in environmental law. Rachel has served on the Board of Directors of Greenwatch (U) Ltd, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of ECO-Trust. She is passionate about human rights protection, environmental rights and conservation. Ms. Odoi-Musoke is an advocate of the Courts of Judicature of Uganda of over 24 years standing. She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Makerere University and a Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre. She also holds a Master of Laws from the University of the Witwatersrand specializing in Company law and International Comparative and Human Rights Law with additional qualifications in Programme Management and Strategic Planning.
Job Titles:
- Project & Finance Officer
Raymond Nteesa - Project & Finance Officer: Raymond joined UCF in 2020 as an Intern, and in 2021 was offered a full time role. As Project & Administration Officer, Raymond splits his time between the main office supporting financial management, data collection, information management and reporting across Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls Protected Areas. Raymond is also a core member of the training team supporting the roll out of operational management systems, processes and technology across the parks. Prior to UCF Raymond worked for Kelea Consulting carrying out data collection, management and analytics, due diligence and administration. Raymond holds a Bachelor's Degree in Arts in Economics from Makerere University.
Job Titles:
- Project & Analytics Officer
Ruth Apusan - Project & Analytics Officer: Ruth worked as an UWA Ranger in the Monitoring & Research Department in QEPA between 2012 to 2015. In 2015 Ruth left UWA and later that year joined UCF for the first time as a Project Officer. In 2017 Ruth left UCF to focus on her family, and in 2018 she decided to move to the Humanitarian sector working with the Refugees in all the Refugee settlements. However, with a deep love for conservation and Queen Elizabeth NP, Ruth came back to UCF in 2021. Ruth has a Master's Degree in Spatial Crime Analysis form the Vrije University Amsterdam-Netherlands, a Postgraduate Diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation form Uganda Management Institute (UMI), a Bachelor's Degree in Development studies and a Diploma in Project Planning and Management from Makerere University Business School. Working with UCF Ruth has supported programmes such as EarthRanger, Wildlife Crime Analysis using I2 Analyst Notebook / Semantic and QGIS.
Sophie Arcedeckne-Butler - General Manager: Sophie Arcedeckne-Butler comes to UCF with over twenty years' experience in project management, fundraising, senior management and leadership in NGOs, working on different humanitarian and development issues and solutions across Africa and South Asia. With a Master's degree in international development, Sophie brings academic and practical expertise to programme development and management, and building long and fruitful partnerships with institutional donors, such as the EC. Across different roles in the sector, Sophie has worked closely with local partner organisations to strengthen their operations, governance and effectiveness. Passionate about the environment and conservation, Sophie is supporting the UCF team to ensure robust governance and management, and raise funds to expand our critical work in park recovery, conservation, community development and environmental protection in Uganda.
Suzy Fox (Chairperson) is an American citizen living and working in London. She joined UCF as a Trustee in 2011. Her interest in Uganda commenced when friends moved there and in 2009 she first visited. She enjoyed the natural beauty, wildlife and charming people so much that she made a return visit in December 2010. Her return visits have been annual and enabled her to understand the challenges in the parks and with UWA as well as make local friends. Suzy now uses her management skills to contribute to the development and potential of Uganda. Besides her passion for Uganda, she is an avid sailor and loves to bake. She works as a COO in the tech industry in London and holds an MBA in International Business and Marketing.
Tim Came (Trustee) His passion for Uganda stemmed from his father being born in Kabale on the Congo border in 1932. Tim was brought up on stories his Grandmother told him about the vast concentrations of mammals in the Murchison Falls National Park and living in Uganda in the 1930's and 1940's. Tim moved to Southern Africa in the late 1990's and spent 12 years running safaris in Zambia, latterly in the South Luangwa and the Kafue National Parks. Tim is a life-long Conservationist and is now UK based. He is keen to help develop the long term strategic vision and direction of UCF with the support of his fellow Trustees.