Jones Kyazze

Early life and education Delegates to the 1954 Namirembe Conference pose for a group Photograph in Kampala, Uganda. Yosia Kyazze is Pictured at far left, while Sir Keith Hancock, chair of the conference is pictured at the far right. Jones Yosiya Kyazze was born on 4 November 1943 at Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. He grew up in Nateete, near Mengo, in an extended family compound shared by his father, Yake Yekoniya Siki Musoke Kyazze, and his grandfather, Yosiya Kyazze. Kyazze's father later served as Speaker of the Buganda Lukiiko.

Career Kyazze joined the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1972 through its Young Professionals Programme. He began his career in the Education Sector at UNESCO Headquarters.

He later worked on a joint UNDP–UNESCO education project in Sierra Leone. From 1992 to 1995, he served at the UNESCO Office in Lagos, Nigeria, first as Education Adviser and, from 1994, as Head of Office and UNESCO Representative.

As Director of the Liaison Office, Kyazze represented UNESCO at the United Nations, where he spoke on issues including the United Nations Literacy Decade, Education for All, adult education, universal primary education, lifelong learning, and international cooperation in education and literacy programmes.

A 2002 United Nations press release states that Kyazze addressed the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly on behalf of UNESCO. During his career with the organization, he worked across 54 African countries.

Rotary work Kyazze has also been active in Rotary International, particularly in the areas of education and literacy. In 2013, a Rotary International presentation identified him as a member of the Basic Education and Literacy Cadre and a member of the Rotary Club of Nateete-Kampala in Uganda.

Literary works After retiring from UNESCO, Kyazze focused more on writing. In a 2025 interview with NBS Television, he said that his work with the United Nations had not given him enough time to write, and that retirement gave him the opportunity to write books and novels. , The Place of Culture in Africa (2003), Thirty-Six Years Later: A Unique Love Story (2018), the Making of an International Civil Servant: My Incredible Journey (2020),

In 2024, he published Prof. William Senteza Kajubi: The Man and His Legacy, a biography of Ugandan educationist and former Makerere University vice-chancellor William Senteza Kajubi.