Prof Jassy B. Kwesiga is a former Associate Professor at Makerere University, where he worked in the Institute of Adult and Continuing Education. He served for as the Executive Director of DENIVA, a Network of Local NGOs, founded in 1988. After retiring at DENIVA since 2012, after 15 years of service, he has been playing a consultancy and/or advisory roles in the wider Civil Society Sector.
Prof. Kwesiga’s skills and knowledge in this sector are valued nationally and internationally, and this is reflected in frequent calls for him to facilitate workshops, serve on Boards, vet proposals for funding, evaluate programmes and participate in human resource recruitment.
He has held various positions at Board and Advisory level, attended and participated in many national and international conferences and seminars on different topics including but not limited to Social Development, Project and Programme Evaluation, International Social Watch Systems, Capacity Building, World Bank/NGO work, NGO Management, Advocacy and Lobbying, Sustainability Issue – Assessment and Strategies for NGOs, Civil Society in the New Millennium, Commonwealth People’s Festival, Civil Society and the Democratisation of Global Governance, Protecting the Rights and Addressing the Responsibilities of NGOs.
He has written and presented several papers on diverse topics. He has also supervised various research topics. His special interest lies in how partnerships may be developed between the state and civil society and the private sector without the civil society losing its autonomy and people-centred agenda.
He is an active member of CPF, and has participated in its different for a, such preparations for the meetings of the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Governments meetings.
Because of his membership on various Boards and funding Committees for Civil Society Organisations in Uganda, and for purposes of avoiding conflict of interest, Prof. Jassy Kwesiga serves as one of the Advisors of KOMAZA (though he was originally a Director), on an informal basis.