Kampala, (UG):- The National Unity Platform (NUP) leader, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu alias Bobi Wine has appointed his deputy President (Northern region), Dr Lina Zedriga as the acting President of the party for a 10-day-period when he will be away and out of the country.
In his ‘letter of appointment’ dated Mach 03, 2023, Bobi Wine, envisaged Zedriga’s appointment as the party president to Article 7(1) (g) of the NUP constitution.
“In accordance with Article 7(1) (g) of the Party Constitution, I hereby appoint you Acting President of the National Unity Platform for ten (10)days from 5th March to 15th March 2024, during which period I will be out of the country,” reads the letter signed by the former Kyadondo East legislator and former Presidential contender.
Zedriga’s appointment raised eyebrows in the eyes of the public domain wondering why Bobi Wine skipped his immediate would-be Deputy President, Hon Mathias Mpuuga (Buganda Region) as the latter is currently at loggerheads with the party leadership over the Shs500m ‘service award’ as Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LoP).
But who is Dr Lina Zedriga, and why Bobi trusts her
Dr Zedriga, although seemingly little known to the wider public, has been at the forefront of the struggle for democracy and social justice in Uganda for many years.
Born on 8th, September 1961 (Aged 59), Dr Zedriga hails from Vura Constituency in Arua District. She is a mother of five and a grandmother of four who has also mentored a number of women leaders in politics.
Her husband, Rauxen Zedriga acted as Forum for Democratic Change (FDC)’s strongman Dr Kizza Besigye’s chief coordinator in West Nile before he was kidnapped and went missing since August 2001.
Education
Dr Zedriga holds a PhD in Peace and Conflict Resolution from Sewanee University in the United States of America. She has a Masters of Arts in Human Rights and a Bachelor of Laws from Makerere University.
Dr Zedriga also holds a number of Diplomas including one in Post Graduate Legal Practice (LDC), Post Graduate Diploma in Women and Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School, Diploma in Law and Judicial Practice from LDC and a Diploma in Law from LDC.
Dr Zedriga holds a number of certificates and notably among them include a Training of Partipatory Gender Audit Facilitators from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Certificate in Judicial Reforms in Anglophone Africa from the World Bank Institute among others.
Career
Dr Zedriga worked as a Secretary for the Uganda National Committee for tge Prevention and Punishment of Genocide and Mass Atrocities, a Coordinator and Principal Investigator (P.I) for the IGAD Research on Inclusive Mechanisms, and a Consultant Mediator for World Bank.
She also served a Lecturer at Victoria University in Kampala, Sawanee University in Tennessee and JF Kennedy School of Government in the USA.
De Zedriga also served as an Associate Director at the Center of Conflict Management and Peace Studies for Gulu University, a position she was seconded to by ACORD under a Memorandum of Understanding with Gulu University. One of her most recent assignments was being a Magistrate at the Judicial Service Commission in Uganda among other roles that she has served in her long career path.
Dr Zedriga can accurately speak seven languages including English, Acholi, Lango, Alur, Lugbara, Luganda and Swahili.
She brings to the People Power movement her wealth of experience and according to their leader Kyagulanyi, De Zedriga will be in charge of political mobilization.
As Acting President, Dr. Lina Zedriga is expected to maintain the party’s momentum and ensure that its objectives remain at the forefront of the political agenda. Her leadership during this period will be closely watched by party members, supporters, and political observers alike.
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