There is widespread excitement/optimism among veterinary practitioners and professionals in Uganda following the appointment of Dr. Charles Lagu (also a diehard PLU mobilizer) to serve as the pioneer CEO or Registrar for the newly established Uganda Veterinary Council (UVC). Until the year 2021, Lagu served as the Executive Director for NAGRC&DB based in Entebbe. As CEO, he will be charged with heading the UVC Secretariat in Kampala among other obligations. It’s a demanding job that requires know-how, resilience, energy and dedication given the vastness of the assignment Lagu has been handed.
Through the line minister Bright Rwamirama, the government of President Museveni has made the people of West Nile happy and to feel recognized even more by posting their son to such a powerful position. West Nilers had earlier on felt alienated over the controversial circumstances under which their son Lagu was ousted from NAGRC&DB where he had caused so much reform, growth and transformation in such a short time.
He was even put on trial but it all ended in his exoneration after the DPP lost interest in the case and prosecution ended. There was pressure on him to sue government and get himself paid billions in damages for malicious prosecution but, being a loyal cadre of the Movement and diehard supporter of both Gen Museveni and MK, Lagu disregarded that advice and allowed by-gones to be by-gones.
This perceived marginalization and alienation is what Terego Woman MP Rose Obiga referenced last week when she complained to the Public Service Minister Katumba Wamala and PS Catherine Musingwire Birakwate when (during an interface with the Parliamentary Committee on Civil Service & Local Government) while demanding to know where West Nilers (numbering 14m) weren’t as visible in big government positions as their fellow Ugandans from other parts of the country. Obiga deputizes Committee Chairperson Edmund Herbert Ariko, which is why the Katumba-Musingwire duo admitted her concerns wouldn’t be taken lightly.
FAST FORWARD: Now reliable sources from the mother Ministry of Agriculture (MAAIF) say that, upon the recommendation of the UVC Governing Board and clearance of the President following rigorous security vetting, Minister Frank Tumwebaze instructed State Minister Animal Husbandry Bright Rwamirama to sign off the appointment letter making Lagu the CEO, Registrar and accounting officer for the all-important UVC. The Council among other things oversees all matters regulatory relating to the livestock sub sector, which continues to be one of Uganda’s top foreign exchange earners.
UVC is also important because it’s the regulatory body charged with overseeing standards enforcement on all matters regarding animal husbandry, animal health, poultry, beef, the slaughter houses/abattoirs, fisheries and the entire diary sector. The Council, which the Veterinary Practitioners Act 2024 establishes, is also concerned with health of all animals including both domestic and wild. The UVC is mandated with registering, enrolling and licensing all veterinary medicine practitioners in the country. Registration is a one-off exercise but licensing is annual.
Lagu, who had to compete and emerge the best over and above all the other applicants, was reportedly chosen and considered to be the irresistible candidate for the job because of the clarity with which he spoke about how a well-regulated veterinary sub sector could be leveraged to accelerate the realisation of socio-economic objectives and ideals the President wants to realize through the 10-fold growth strategy, according to which Uganda’s economy must enlarge and grow from the current GDP of roughly $55bn to $500bn in the next 14 years from now.
Sources close to the recruitment exercise say that Lagu made a compelling case on how appropriate regulation of aspects like animal husbandry, beef, poultry, dairy sector and fisheries etc would enable Uganda realize not just the President’s 10-fold growth strategy objectives but also increased export volumes and sustainable food security.
Being a man of the people, Dr. Lagu’s appointment to be the pioneer CEO for the all-important UVC has been welcomed with euphoria not only among his fellow West Nilers but also among fellow veterinary professionals and development partners. The leadership at MAAIF, whose Animal Husbandry Minister is mandated to oversee the goings-on at UVC, are optimistic that the workaholic Lagu will leverage his vast veterinary-relevant experience and academic qualifications to ensure that the Veterinary Council (whose establishment many believe was long overdue) renders effective service to millions of Ugandans who thrive on livestock to contribute to the growth and development of their country.
Available internet information shows that besides possessing the MUST PhD in animal sciences, Dr. Lagu holds a Masters degree in livestock development, planning & management, and a bachelors of veterinary medicine from Makerere University. He also undertook specialized training from University of Georgia in the US. He also did specialized training in livestock technology & genetics improvement at Swiss Genetics Institute in Switzerland among others.
Possessing an MBA from the prestigious Uganda Management Institute (UMI) also made Lagu a hard-to-resist candidate for the interview panel because the Masters of Business Administration simply meant he is well-possessed with excellent business and management skills as opposed to merely being a highly-credentialled vet.
As for his working experience (1997-2021), Dr. Lagu previously headed NAGRC&DB as the ED, lectured at MUST & University of Rwanda besides undertaking consequential research under both Makerere University and Uganda National Council of Science & Technology. Earlier on, he had worked as a veterinary officer, research officer and subsequently Director of Research at NARO Mbarara ZARDI. He also worked with NAADS in the capacity of being zonal coordinator and also as zonal assistant & development officer (ZADO).
