Maggie Kigozi; An enterprising Medical doctor, businesswoman and sportswoman

By Watchdog reporter

She was born Margaret Blick in Fort Portal to George William Blick, a civil engineer with the Uganda Ministry of Works and Transport and Molly Johnson Blick, a Fashion Designer. Both her parents had English fathers and Baganda mothers. Her father and siblings were champion motorcycle riders in Uganda and East Africa in the 1960s and 1970s. Margaret herself was an avid motorcycle rider.

She attended Aga Khan Primary School in Kampala, Gayaza High School in Wakiso District for her Ordinary Level education and Kololo Senior Secondary School, in Kampala, for her Advanced Level education. In 1970, just before the turned 20, she entered Makerere University School of Medicine, graduating in 1974 with the degree of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.

Following a one-year internship in Uganda, she migrated to Zambia in Southern Africa, where she practised as a physician, from 1977 until 1979. She returned to Uganda in 1979 following the removal of Idi Amin from power, but had to flee to neighbouring Kenya, after Milton Obote seized power in 1980. She continued to practice medicine in Kenya until 1986, when she again returned to Uganda, following another change of government in Kampala. She worked as the physician to members of the Parliament of Uganda and their families, from 1986 until 1994. She has been reported to have had a passion for pediatrics during her medical career.

In 1994, following the sudden death of her husband, she joined Crown Bottlers Uganda Limited, as the Marketing Director. During her tenure at Crown Bottlers, she was appointed board member of Uganda Manufacturers Association. She worked at the bottling company until she was appointed Executive Director at Uganda Investment Authority (UIA) in 1999. She is the first person and first woman to serve in that position at UIA.

Before she left Uganda for Zambia in 1977, Blick married Daniel Serwano Kigozi. Together they had three children, who are all university graduates now. Kigozi died suddenly in 1994. She is the mother of Ugandan hiphop musician Navio.

In addition to the responsibilities already cited, Kigozi has had the following additional roles:

• Chief Scout of the Uganda Scouts Association
• Associate Professor of Economics at Makerere University
• Member ofGlobal Banking Alliance for Women (GBA) Advisory Board
• Patron, Uganda Change Agents and Junior Chamber International
• Director of the Board of Uganda Export Promotion Board
• Member, board of directors, Crown Beverages Limited – Manufacturers and distributors of Pepsi-Cola in Uganda.
• The founder ofUganda Investment Authority Women Entrepreneurs Network.
• Focal Point Officer for the Africa Asia Business Forum.
• Patron Ugandan Diaspora Network
• Sportswoman who has represented Uganda inlawn tennis, table tennis, hockey and squash.
• For a period leading up to 2011, Dr. Kigozi was the Chancellor of Nkumba University.