Grace Nayiga
Grace Nayiga is a Ugandan lawyer and accomplished civil society leader with over 15 years of progressive experience in legal aid, gender justice, HIV and health rights programming, and institutional governance. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Uganda Network on Law, Ethics and HIV/AIDS (UGANET), an organisation with a strong national presence and strategic partnerships across Africa and beyond. Under her leadership, UGANET has extended its influence to global platforms, collaborating with international networks and donors to advance social justice and health rights.
In her role as Executive Director, Grace oversees an annual budget of over UGX 4.2 billion, demonstrating exceptional financial stewardship and accountability. She has successfully maintained high-level partnerships with the Global Fund, World Bank, UN Agencies, and BPRM by ensuring compliance with rigorous international funding standards. Even amidst shrinking donor funding, she has safeguarded UGANET’s credibility through transparent financial management, comprehensive institutional audits, including one led by KPMG and strategic reforms that qualified UGANET as a continuing implementer of the highly competitive Global Fund Human Rights Grant (GC7).
Grace’s governance experience spans several national, regional, and global platforms. She has served as General Secretary of the Legal Aid Service Providers Network (LASPNET), Board Secretary and Executive Committee Member of the Palliative Care Association of Uganda (PCAU), and Board Member of the National Forum of People Living with HIV/AIDS Networks in Uganda (NAFOPHANU). She also sits on the Civil Society National Reference Group under the UN Spotlight Initiative 2.0 and represents East Africa on the Global South IRC-NEAR Resource Sharing Platform, a network developing innovative resources for women-led organisations across the Global South.
Grace holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from Uganda Christian University, a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre, and is pursuing an LLM in Oil and Gas. She has also undertaken professional training in leadership, governance, financial accountability, and trial advocacy. Grace currently serves on the Board of FIDA-Uganda as the Treasurer, Chairperson of the Finance and Human Resource Committee, and a member of the Audit and Risk Management Committee.
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