President Yoweri Museveni has appointed Dr. Monica Musenero Masanza as Uganda’s new Minister for Energy and Mineral Development.
Dr. Masanza takes over from Hon. Ruth Ssentamu Nankabirwa, who served in the role from 2021 to 2026, at a crucial period as Uganda accelerates the development of its energy sector ahead of anticipated first oil production later this year.
Before her appointment, Dr. Masanza served as Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation under the Office of the President and also worked as Senior Presidential Advisor on Epidemics, where she played a major role in Uganda’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
She has extensive experience in public health, science, policy, and international development, having previously worked as an Assistant Lecturer at Makerere University, Assistant Commissioner for Epidemiology and Surveillance at Uganda’s Ministry of Health, and Principal Program Officer at Africa Field Epidemiology Network.
Internationally, Dr. Masanza served with the World Health Organization in Sierra Leone during the West African Ebola outbreak, where her contributions to outbreak control earned recognition from both the Ugandan and Sierra Leonean governments.
She has also been actively involved in Uganda’s epidemic preparedness and response systems and contributed to the management of Ebola and Marburg outbreaks in the country since 2007.
Dr. Masanza holds a Master of Science degree from Cornell University with a focus on Microbiology, Immunology, Molecular Biology, and Vaccine Development, as well as a Master of Public Health degree from Makerere University specialising in Field Epidemiology.
She has additionally played a leading role in advancing the One Health approach across Uganda and Africa, including supporting multidisciplinary interventions for disease outbreak management and serving as Technical Advisor for the USAID-funded One Health Workforce Program.