Oxfam Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima has spoken out for the first time on reports that she could be prompted to take up Uganda’s most coveted office.
Winnie who happens to be wife to Uganda opposition kingpin, Kizza Besigye told Steven Sucker in an interview on the BBC’s Hard Talk on Monday morning that she is focusing on her job at Oxfam when he asked her to respond to reports that some people view her as presidential material come 2021.
“It would be an honor to be asked to lead my country but right now i have an even bigger honor serving Oxfam. I am happy, i have just signed an extension to my contract for the next five years,” Winnie said.
Winnie, a former lawmaker in the Ugandan parliament also spoke about the controversial move by government to scrap the presidential age limit.
“It is not a partisan issue but a citizen’s issue. It is an Oxfam issue so its important that i speak so that Ugandans can rise up and challenge it,” Winnie said.
She also spoke about the charity organisation’s plans to move the Oxfam International Secretariat from Oxford, where it was founded, to Nairobi, Kenya.
The aid organisation will begin its move in 2017, with it expected to take two years to complete the move, it was announced mid this year.
It will begin the move by first relocating senior directs and other key Secretariat staff. It will then recruit locally. As is the case now, its Secretariat will remain a multi-locational organisation, with advocacy offices in DC, NY, Brussels and Addis Ababa, a Global Humanitarian Team, and other staff accommodated in our affiliate HQs and country teams, too.
Hi : Dear Ms Winnie Byanyima
My name is Zacharia Dhieu Bul I am from Southern Sudan and I live in Australia. I have been working with NGOS in Kenya. Yesterday I was listening for hard talk on the BBC radio I was very impressed with your speech about improvement on how to stop people from suffering the world. I understand the suffering of my people back home in Africa. Time will come for me to step into your shoes and help my people from suffering. This time I understand that there is a lot of work to be done so that we can stop this madness. I will be here to support you morally to encourage Oxfam to help those in need. I wish you the best and may God bless on your journey to success. We shall be in touch and farewell.