He is not the usual boss, who freaks the little nerve out of you or gets you thinking that you should be doing something all the time. He interacts with people in his office freely and prefers to be addressed as ‘NED.’
Edward Kanyesigye is the new Head of the Health Department.

The Department comprises of four programs; Nursing, Bachelor of Community Health, Save The Mothers and International Christian medical institute.
He is optimistic about many great things yet to happen in the Department and has several plans for his new office.
“I think my biggest contribution will be sensitizing the UCU community about the need to improve their health and practice health promotion,” he says. He adds that if all the programs in the department worked together, instead of in isolation, they would create such a big impact on UCU and the country.
Kanyesigye was born in Busheyi district. He is second and first boy in the family of seven children.  While he was a young man, he went, to a church school, which left him with so many memories that he tells with deep passion in his voice.
Unlike the luxuries that today’s pupils live to enjoy, he never saw a paper or pencil in the earlier days of his school life.
“We used to sit in dust, which also acted as our books,” he narrates. For every single day, the designated place for class room was filled with pupils who sat comfortably on the ground and listened attentively to their teachers.
  Later, the pupils were introduced to banana leaves, which they used as books and sticks as pencils.
“Because I was young, every time I tried to write on a banana leaf, it would tear and I would never finish my work,” he said, seeming to look into the window of his childhood. Due to the habit of writing on the ground and on banana leaves, his school was nicknamed ‘ Mwajure ( meaning; you crawl)
Later, when Kanyesigye joined a Government school in Ruyonza, and was given a pen, he could hardly write. His work was untidy and covered in ink. This cost him. He was stopped from using a pen and told to use a pencil for the rest of the year.
Besides, lack of scholastic supplies at school, he never had a choice of clothes to choose from like many did. For as long as he had a uniform, that is what mattered. He also remembers going without shoes for some part of his secondary school days.
“My parents were poor and struggled to get fees, so for the little I had, I was grateful,” he explained.
His interest in Medicine started while he was in his later years of high school at Ntare School in Mbarara. The schools had no medical personnel or nurse at the time. It was a tradition that any student, who was elected Health prefect, did the work of a school nurse.
“When I was elected health prefect, I chose Zach Niringiye (now Bishop) as my deputy and he was such a smart and knowledgeable young man,” Kanyesigye says with an assuring nod.
While at Makerere University, Kanyesigye was elected minister of health for Livingstone hall of residence. During his term of office, he set up a small service first aid box for his fellow students and appointed his electoral opponent, David Chisanga to operate it.
Kanyesigye has been a medical doctor for 32 years and a Public Health Specialist for 28 years. He was a medical officer in various upcountry sections until he was posted to the Headquarters of Ministry of Health (MOH). At MOH, he rotated through several divisions, namely: training, curative services, health education, nutrition and human resources for health, where he was Acting Commissioner.
One of his recollections was while working as a medical officer in Masindi district, where he was the only doctor at the time. He was in charge of both patient care and administration. This was also during the war times and killings in Luwero triangle.
“I remember having to go through Lira-Soroti Mbale, to access Kampala because of the war,” he says, adding that the first invasion of Masindi was two days after he had left the District office.
“My successor was taken away by the rebels but fortunately, he was released after two days.”
In 2004, He retired voluntarily from Public Health and decided to concentrate on freelance consultation. It is at that point that he started working with UCU, helping out with the Health Policy and introduction of Bachelor of Community Health, which started in 2008.
“While I was helping with policy development, I got an appointment as a senior lecturer on part time basis,” he said.
However, there was so much more to that. Last month, when Dr. Mike Smith resigned, Kanyesigye was appointed Head of Department.
“The appointment came at a time when the Department was at a delicate stage and I felt like it was my calling to do something how ever small it would be,” said Kanyesigye.
For a man who is retired, one would wonder why he is working at UCU. He, however, says that what keeps him going is his desire to reach his goals in life.
“I love a job that keeps me in touch with people, especially those in need,” he says. His dream is to see people receive better health care. He admits health care in Uganda is still very inadequate.
“Many of the things that help people require money and yet this money is sometimes in the hands of those who are unwilling to help. I wish I had more money to help people,” he adds.
One of the challenges that come with his job as a lecturer is working with direct school entrants and mature students. He says it is hard to get the two categories to relate. Usually the former have little knowledge of what they are studying yet at the end of the day, they are all expected to know the same.
It’s not easy for anyone to get him out of a good mood for a long time. He enjoys a stress-free environment and he hopes to promote a team in his Department that see themselves as colleagues, rather than a boss – subordinate relationship.
Dr. Kanyesigye attatined a Bachelors in medicine from Makerere University in 1987, a post graduate Diploma in Public Health at Makerere University in 1982 and a Masters in Public Health at Adelaide University in South Australia, 1990.
He is married to Roselyn and they have four children of whom two are UCU Mass Communication graduates
In the next five years, he hopes to become a public figure, either a minister, CEO or own a business.
“I believe I am ready for self actualization,” he affirms, “above all, I long for a life that glorifies God.”