info@ucu.ac.ug +256312350800
Names:
Emilly Comfort Maractho
Professional field:
Media, Communication and Development
Date of Birth:
20th December 1979
Nationality:
Ugandan
Cell Phone:
+256 752008664
Email:
emillycm@gmail.com; emaractho@ucu.ac.ug
I am a researcher, academic and policy analyst. I have worked in government, research, and academia. I have excellent reading, writing, analytical and interpersonal skills. My research focuses on media, communication and development more broadly but media, gender and social justice specifically. I have been teaching at the Uganda Christian University since 2008 and taught at Makerere University for several years. I also do capacity building (training) consultancy and policy analysis (legal and regulatory frameworks). I am engaged in research for policy making and participated in drafting some policies and identifying policy and institutional gaps in the public sector in Uganda. I have made presentations on topical issues to various audiences, both locally and internationally. I am also a columnist with the Daily Monitor where I largely write about women and public policy.
Mass Media, women and public life in Uganda: Interrogating representation, interaction and
engagement. Durban: University of KwaZulu Natal (PhD Thesis, 2017).
Do legal and policy frameworks facilitate media diversity and independence? A critical study of Uganda, 1993-2013. Daystar University, Kenya. (MA Thesis, DU 2014)
Linking Human Rights and Human Development: Implications for the Rights Based Approaches to Development in Northern Uganda. Uganda Martyrs University, Nkozi. (MA Thesis, UMU 2007).
The Effects of Individual Merit on Democracy and Political Reforms in Uganda: A case study of the 2001 presidential elections (Dissertation, MUK 2002).
Vice Chairperson Board of Directors, Uganda Media Women’s Association (UMWA-2017-2020)
Vice President, Forum for Greater Nebbi Development (2018 to date)
Patron, Nebbi Makerere Students Association (NEMSA), MUK (2016 to 2019)
Patron Nebbi Uganda Christian University Student’s Association (2009 to 2012)
National Secretary General, Junior Chamber International-Uganda (2005)
Chairperson Nebbi Makerere Students Association (NEMSA), MUK (2001/2)
Secretary for women’s affairs, NEMSA-MUK, 2000/01
| Period | Organization | Position | Description |
| 2018 to date | Uganda Christian University, Mukono | Senior Lecturer & Head of Department | Senior lecturer - teach Media Law and Policy; Media Theory; Media Ethics; Media, Gender and Social Justice; Development Communication Chair - Department of Journalism and Media Studies.; ICT and empowerment; and Research Methods.Supervise Masters and Undergraduate Research Projects. Started as a lecturer at the university in 2008. |
| 2008 to 2018 | Uganda Christian University | Lecturer | Started as a lecturer at the university in 2008 till promotion to senior in 2018. I taught development economics, development management and governance and development. Supervise Undergraduate Research Projects. |
| 2014 to date | Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR)-Nairobi | Advanced Research Training Facilitator | Have engaged with PASGR as part of their College of Instructors, in the Professional Development and Training (PDT) Department which trains African Researchers on innovative research pedagogy. Course facilitation in Advanced Research Design, Mixed Methods Research, Critical Policy Engaged Research and Comparative Case Analysis. |
| 2004 to 2017 | Makerere University | Lecturer | I taught at Makerere University for 14 years. I was the coordinator of programmes in the Department of Development Studies, and taught various subjects including Human Rights in Development, Development Policy Science, Science and Technology for Development, and State and development. I was also assistant Lecturer teaching Micro and Macroeconomics for Engineering Students between 2005 and 2011. I supervised student’s end of year projects. I resigned from Makerere University in June 2018 to work full time at UCU in then Department of Mass Communication. |
| 2003 to 2007 | Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited & Umeme Ltd | Billing Officer | I joined UEDCL as a graduate trainee in 2003 after graduating that same year and went on to work in the Billing department in data management and billing. I also worked in Umeme Limited as a billing officer upto 2007. I resigned to teach full time at Makerere University where I worked upto 2018. |
| 2004 to 2008 | NEPAD/APRM Unit, National Planning Authority | Writer and Rapportour | I worked in various capacities for the National Planning Authority (NPA) Uganda as a consultant. I produced a quarterly Newsletter for the NEPAD/APRM unit, NEPAD Uganda Newsletter, instrumental in publicizing the African Union Initiative both within and outside Uganda. I was also a Rapportour during the Country Self-Assessment Report process for Uganda, Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) as well as the negotiations of East African Common Markets |
| 2004 to 2005 | The West Niler | Feature Editor Publications Ltd | The West Niler Publications was the publisher of The West Niler Newspaper. I wrote two weekly columns and also edited feature articles. |
| June 2021 | DW Akademie | Media Consultant and Reviewer | To support their research in Uganda through reviews and quality assurance |
| May-Nov 2021 | National Commission for UNESCO, UN Women and EU | Consultant (Researcher, Key note address and Trainer) | Conducted research, developed training materials for journalists, delivered two key note addresses for World Press Freedom Day and International Day to end Impunity for crimes against Journalists. |
| Sep – Oct 2020 | Agency for Accelerated Regional Development (AFARD) | Consultant (Team- Leader) | Lead a team in the development of a Communication & Visibility Strategy, that included Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to guide the implementation of the organization’s Strategic Plan 2020- 2025. |
| 2019 | Uganda Media Women’s Association | Principle Investigator | Media coverage of gender-based violence |
| 2019 | Media Focus Africa | Consultant | Concept Paper for Media Focus Africa on Media Viability in Uganda |
| 2019 | African Centre for Media Excellence | Rapportour | Rapportour for Press Freedom Day |
| 5-7 Nov 2019 | UN Human Rights. | Facilitator | Human Rights Training for Journalists from across Uganda |
| 30th October, 2019. | Africa Freedom for Information Centre. | Facilitator | A workshop on gender and social accountability in the media for female journalists in Uganda |
| 25-28th June, 2019 | UNOHCHR | Facilitator | Training of the media on public freedoms and women empowerment, Kapchorwa Uganda |
| April to Oct 2010 | Devinovit Associates Ltd Client: EAC Secretariat | Associate Consultant | Worked with a team that carried out an e-Readiness assessment for a Management Information System (MIS) for the EAC Results-based M&E system and development of a Results-based M&E System for the East African Community (EAC), Arusha - Tanzania. |
| Aug to Oct 2009 | Devinovit Associates Ltd Client: Courts of Judicature | Associate Consultant | Worked as part of the consultancy team that reviewed the Uganda Judiciary ICT Strategy 2004 - 2008 and developed a Judiciary ICT Strategy for FY 2009 - 2013. |
| June 1st to July 15th 2009 | Devinovit Associates Ltd Client: Ministry of ICT Uganda | Research Assistant | Worked as a field coordinator to the team that carried out the development of the National e-Government Framework for Uganda under the Ministry ICT. In addition, I participated in activities including data collection, analysis, and report writing. |
| Feb-April 2009 | Devinovit Associates Ltd Client: COMESA | Research Assistant | As a support Systems Developer, was part of the team that developed the COMESA Regional e-Government Web Portal under the EU/EC Regional ICT Support Programme (RICTSP/COMESA), an EU/EC Project executed by Danish Management. |
| July 2008 | Devinovit Associates Ltd Client: Ministry of ICT Uganda | Research Assistant | Was part of the team that carried out a review and documentation of the draft National Postal Policy Framework for the Government of Uganda under the Ministry of ICT. |
| 2003 (Jan to Jul) | ACNielsen | Research field supervisor | |
| Devinovit Associates Ltd Client: Courts of Judicature | Safer World UK | Research Assistant |
My research has covered women’s participation in public life, local governance and service delivery, media and women’s engagement, civil society and development, human rights and social justice, media governance and regulation, and elections in Uganda. My current research at various stages includes:
Conspiracy Beliefs and Covid-19 Vaccination Hesitancy in Uganda (Co-Principal Investigator)
Towards inclusive Multimodal public engagement with Research and Innovation for
Development in Science Granting Councils in Sub Saharan Africa (Co-Principal Investigator)
Claiming Space: How Ugandan Women negotiate power in media and public life
Enhancing short term medical missions in Uganda (Principal Investigator)
Media Coverage of Covid-19 in Uganda: A framing analysis of New Vision and Daily Monitor
(Co-Principal Investigator)
Social media and elections in Uganda: A reflection of the 2016 elections and the implications for
2021
Research grant for a study of decentralization and service delivery in Uganda, PASGR and
Institute of Development Studies (IDS) 2016
Social Science Research Council (SSRC) Award for the Next Generation Social Sciences PhD
Dissertation Fellowship for 2015/2016.
Awarded Conference grant, Institute of Social Studies (ISS), at The Hague, for Development
Dialogue 2015 on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Conference grant, Global Journalism Symposium at NLA University College, Norway-2015
Awarded research scholarship by Institute of Development Studies, Sussex and PASGR, 2012/13
I was selected to facilitate in advanced research Design for PASGR, 2014 to date training
researchers on policy engaged research and gender sensitive research.
Received Excellence in Teaching Award from the Vice Chancellor, Uganda Christian University
(2012)
Awarded International Training Program for media development (SIDA)
Associate 2020-2021 Appointed weekly columnist for the Daily Monitor, August 2019
Appointed to the Steering Committee for the research on Safety of Journalists, a UNESCO study
by African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME), 2019
Training in Pedagogical Leadership for Higher Education in Africa (PASGR), 2019
Appointed Head of Department, Journalism and Media Studies, 2018.
Promoted to Senior Lecturer, 2018
Principle Investigator, Worlds of Journalism Studies (WJS) Uganda, 2019
Judge for Media Excellence Award, ACME 2018
Carnegie Scholar Award of the African Studies Association-USA, 2018.
Research grant to study short medical missions in Uganda from Lehigh University, USA, 2018