Barbara Kaija

Barbara Kaija is a Ugandan journalist and educator. She serves as the editor in chief, and head of content generation at the Vision Group, a largely government owned media house..

Background and education

Kaija was educated at Makerere University, Uganda's oldest public university, first graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in education. She followed that with a Master of Arts degree in education, also at Makerere. Later, she obtained a Master of Arts in journalism and media studies, from Rhodes University, in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. She also has a Postgraduate Diploma in Practical Journalism, obtained in Cardiff, Wales in the United Kingdom, under the sponsorship of the Thomson Foundation.

Career

Her tenure at Vision Group spans over 30 years. In 1992, she was hired as a sub-editor trainee. Over time, she was given more responsibilities and rose to the position of deputy features editor. Later she became the features editor, and worked in that capacity for ten years. She was appointed deputy editor-in-chief in 2006 and she became editor-in-chief in 2010. In her current capacity, she oversees journalistic standards and strategy of all media platforms of the Vision Group. When she assumed the role of editor-in-chief in 2010, she became the first Ugandan woman to become a chief editor of a Ugandan major newspaper.

Personal life

Kaija is married.
She is a born-again Christian and her religious beliefs strongly guide her life.

Other considerations

Kaija has a passion for journalism and commitment to teaching others. She has specialized in "development journalism", in which she has taught and supervised many Ugandan journalists.
In 2012, she was awarded the National Jubilee Award, in recognition of her body of work. In March 2011, the Ugandan newspaper Daily Monitor, part of the Aga Khan-owned Nation Media Group, named her one of "Today's Uganda Top Fifty Women Movers".