Our Team
Since Uganda joined the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 1981, the organisation has maintained a strong partnership with the country, supporting Uganda to address its unique development priorities and agricultural challenges. In the aftermath of political instability and natural disasters, FAO’s early support to Uganda focused on emergency interventions, helping vulnerable rural communities recover their livelihoods by providing essential agricultural inputs and technical support.
With a dedicated team of 160 personnel in Uganda, FAO is committed to its strategic objective of transforming agrifood systems for sustainable development. We work closely with the Government of Uganda to deliver technical assistance, promote climate-resilient agriculture, and strengthen both institutional and community-level capacities.
Mr. Ezana Kassa has been the FAO Representative in Uganda since 1 April 2026. A national of Ethiopia, he is a distinguished agriculturist with over a decade of experience in agriculture, rural development, food security, and resilience programming across the Horn of Africa. He has a strong track record of delivering impact in complex and fragile contexts.
Mr. Kassa joined FAO in 2015 in South Sudan as Project Manager, where he worked closely with communities to strengthen livelihoods and build resilience to recurrent shocks. He later served as Emergency Coordinator for FAO Somalia (2019–2021), leading critical emergency and resilience interventions in collaboration with national authorities, United Nations partners, and humanitarian actors.
Most recently, Mr. Kassa served as Senior Programme Officer for FAO Somalia, providing strategic leadership and policy direction to the country programme. In this role, he guided programme planning and implementation, led the development of the Country Programming Framework, and represented FAO in key United Nations coordination platforms.
Prior to joining FAO, he held senior leadership roles with international non-governmental organizations, including Country Director for Action Africa Help International and Programme Manager for Norwegian People’s Aid, where he managed large, multidisciplinary teams.
He holds a Global Executive Master of Business Administration from the United States International University in Nairobi, a Master of Science in Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development from the University of London, and a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Haramaya University in Ethiopia.