Assumpta Nnaggenda-Musana facts for kids

Assumpta Nnaggenda-Musana is a famous Ugandan architect, urban planner, and teacher. She works as a lecturer at Makerere University, which is the oldest and biggest public university in Uganda. She made history by becoming the first woman in Uganda to earn a doctorate degree (PhD) in architecture. As of 2019, she was still the only woman in Uganda with this achievement.

Early Life and Education

Assumpta Nnaggenda-Musana was born in Kampala, Uganda's capital city. Her mother, Grace Nnaggenda, was a fashion designer. Her father, Professor Francis Nnaggenda, was a well-known sculptor and painter.

She went to Nakasero Primary School for her early education. For her O-Level studies, she attended Trinity College Nabbingo. She finished her A-Level education at Makerere High School in 1988.

Assumpta's parents, especially her father, encouraged her to use her artistic talents in architecture. In the 1980s, there were no architecture courses in Ugandan universities. So, in 1989, she got a scholarship to study in the former Soviet Union. She went to the Kharkov State University of Civil Engineering and Architecture in what is now Ukraine. In 1994, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture. The next year, she received her Master of Science degree from the same university.

Later, she received another scholarship from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency to study in Sweden. She attended the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. In 2004, she earned a Licentiate Degree in Urban Planning. Four years later, in 2008, she was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Urban Planning and the Environment. This made her the first Ugandan woman to achieve a PhD in architecture.

For her studies in Sweden, she researched "informal settlements" (like slums) in Uganda and Kenya. She is an expert in creating sustainable urban areas and affordable housing for people with low incomes in developing countries.

Career Highlights

After getting her master's degree in 1995, Assumpta returned to Uganda. She worked as an architectural intern at Land Plan Group, an architectural company. She also taught part-time at Makerere University. In 2002, the university hired her full-time as an assistant lecturer.

When she earned her PhD in 2008, she was promoted to a full lecturer. She has often spoken about the need for affordable housing for poor people. She believes that building low-rise apartments is a better solution than single-story houses for very poor families. This approach uses land more wisely and helps people live closer to jobs. It also costs less for things like roads and water pipes.

Assumpta has also been a lead designer in a university team that developed mobile public toilets. These toilets are for city centers, slum areas, and other places that don't have good sanitation.

Some of her published work explores how people use their homes to survive, especially women with low incomes. She also writes about how informal housing solutions can teach architects new ideas.

Family Life

Assumpta Nnaggenda-Musana is married to Daniel Musana, who is also an architect. They have one son named Joshua Musana.

Other Contributions

Besides her teaching and research, Dr. Assumpta Nnaggenda-Musana advises the National Planning Authority. She has also been involved in creating Uganda's National Development Plan, which guides the country's future growth.