Pius Bigirimana

**Pius Bigirimana** (born 22 March 1958) is a Ugandan civil servant, public administrator, and author.

He is the Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Judiciary of Uganda. He has held this position since July 2019.

Before this, he was the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister. He later worked as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development.

Bigirimana started working in public service in the 1980s as an Assistant District Commissioner. He later worked in different government offices, including the Office of the President and several ministries. He became a Permanent Secretary in 2008.

His work is mainly in public administration and government programmes. He also writes books about leadership and public service.

In May 2023, he was elected Vice President of the Uganda Association of Public Administration and Management (UAPAM). This group is part of a larger African organization.

He is married to Elizabeth Bigirimana. In 2023, they celebrated 25 years of marriage at Christ the King Parish in Kampala.

## Childhood and education 
Pius Bigirimana was born on 22 March 1958 in Kisoro District, Uganda. His father was Peter Kalerangabo. He was the seventh child in a family of ten children.

## Work Life 
### Early government work 
Bigirimana started working in public service in Kisoro District. He worked as an Assistant District Commissioner. In 1984, he was moved to Mbale District. He later worked as Assistant Secretary and Personal Assistant to the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General.

He later worked as Senior Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government. He also worked as Principal Assistant Secretary in the Office of the President. He worked as Under Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Sports, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Public Service, and the Ministry of Health.

During this time, he worked on the Peace, Recovery and Development Plan (PRDP). This programme helped with recovery in Northern Uganda after conflict. It worked together with the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF), which supported community development.

He was also linked to the development of the Uganda Government Performance Review system, also called the “Traffic Light System”. This system checks how government institutions perform.

#### Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (2013–2019) 
After that, Bigirimana became Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development. He worked there for about six years.

During this time, he was linked to the Youth Livelihood Programme (YLP). This programme helped young people get jobs by giving group funding and support for businesses.

He was also linked to the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme (UWEP). This programme supports women with money and skills to start businesses.

#### Judiciary of Uganda (2019–present) 
In July 2019, Bigirimana moved to the Judiciary of Uganda and became Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Judiciary.

In this role, he manages administration, finances, staff, planning, and support services.

The Judiciary also built and improved court buildings, including those for the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. More High Court and Magistrates’ Court buildings were also built in different areas.

He has also been linked to the use of video conferencing in some courts and prisons to allow remote court hearings.

## Other Work 
Bigirimana has worked in regional judicial groups in Southern and Eastern Africa. He has taken part in meetings about how courts are managed and how countries work together.

## Books and community work 
Bigirimana has written several books about leadership, government, and public service. Some of his books include *Abundance Mentality*, *Corruption: A Tale of Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing*, *Unchained: A Public Servant with a Private Sector Mindset*, *From Tears to Cheers: An Analysis of Northern Uganda Rehabilitation*, *Corona Chronicles*, *Naked Truth: A Candid Book on Family Values*, and *A Small Book of Big Quotes*.

He has also helped in community projects in Kisoro District, including building a health centre.

## Legal matters 
In 2021, the High Court of Uganda ruled in his favor in a defamation case against Monitor Publications Limited. The court ordered payment of damages and stopped further defamatory reports.

## Awards 
In December 2021, Bigirimana received an honorary doctorate in Leadership and Management.

He also received the Distinguished Order of the Source of the Nile (Class One). This is a national award given for service to Uganda. He received it during Labour Day celebrations in 2023.

## Sources