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Monica Azuba Ntege was the kind of person whose story could never be confined to one lane.
Born on February 12, 1956 in Busoga, she grew into a figure who would leave footprints across engineering, sport, and national leadership. Her journey began at Gayaza High School before she proceeded to Makerere University, graduating in 1978 with a degree in Civil Engineering.
From Uganda Commercial Bank to Stanbic bank, where she rose to facilities manager, hers was a career built on discipline, detail, and quiet excellence. Yet even as she designed and managed infrastructure, another life – equally rich – was unfolding on the fairways.
SPORTING BLOODLINE
Sport ran deep in the Azuba family. Her brother, Eng Chris Henry Azuba (RIP), made his mark in as basketball player with the defunct Blue Jackets, cricket administration and umpiring, while her sister Rose has her name mentioned with respect amongst golfing circles.
It was only natural that Monica would find her way into sport – but she began not with golf. In the early 1990s, she was Uganda’s number one female tennis player, representing the country in international competitions. She walked away from the sport not because she could not go further – but because she had reached the peak. Golf would become her second act.
GOLFER WHO STAYED
At the Uganda Golf Club (UGC), Kitante, where she had been a member since the mid-1980s, Monica Ntege grew into one of the most consistent and respected players of her generation.
She won nearly every major on the local calendar and the trophy cabinet in her Muyenga home shimmers with success. But one prize remained stubbornly out of reach – the Uganda Ladies Open.
Between 1993 and 1999, she finished second seven consecutive times. In 2001 and 2002, it was the same story. By 2006, she had been runner-up nine times.
“I think I was born to finish second,” she once said, half in jest, half in resignation.
Unlucky 10
Then came 2007. In a tense playoff against Kenyan Mary Karano, everything seemed aligned for Monica to finally break the jinx. But golf, as she knew well, is as mental as it is technical. As pressure mounted, so did the weight of expectation.
The fear of losing crept in, turning simple routines into complex calculations – a classic case of what experts call “paralysis by analysis.” Karano held her nerve. Monica faltered. The tears she shed on that cloudy evening were not just about a lost title. They were about years of hope, near- misses, and the cruel unpredictability of sport.
BEYOND THE JINX
And yet, she never walked away. Without the “Holy Grail,” Monica kept showing up. She kept winning everything else. She kept proving that greatness is not defined by one title.
Her biggest personal triumph arguably came in 2014 when she won the Entebbe Ladies Open – one of the most competitive tournaments on the regional calendar. That victory felt like a release, a quiet dismantling of the narrative that had followed her for years.
HUMAN TOUCH
I first encountered Monica Ntege in 2005 as an intern journalist at the defunct WBS TV under the late James Mayanja – a giant in sports journalism who shaped my journey. Back then, she was already a figure too big to approach.
But Monica had a way of breaking down those walls. At the 19th hole, she would meet us with warmth that felt almost disarming.
“Mwebale kumpagira… mufuneyo kyemulya… mubeele bulungi,” she would say – thank you for supporting me, eat something, stay well. And she meant it.
Her husband, Mark Ntege (RIP – passed on in January, 2025), would always pick up the tab. It wasn’t about money – it was about making people, especially the journalists and young professionals, feel appreciated.
Many in today’s world look for something in return before offering kindness. The Nteges gave freely – and did it better than most.
PERSONAL MEMORY
One of my most treasured memories came years later, after I had written about her Entebbe Ladies Open victory. The following Monday, Monica and Mark went out of their way to trace me at the Daily Monitor head offices in Namuwongo – not for publicity – but simply to say thank you in person.
That gesture – simple yet profound – left a mark that no paycheck ever could then and never will surpass, I presume. They could have waited for me to drive my jalopy to the golf club later in the week as I always did but they decided else.
It reminded me that even with just a pen and a small platform, our work mattered. Their son, Maurice Ntege, a talented junior golfer in his own right then, was part of those moments too.
We shared conversations at the 19th hole – about life, sport, and the future – while waiting for his parents to wind down their social evenings many a time. I was not interviewing Maurice – now an engineer by profession – but we were picking life lessons from each other and yet we were from different walks of life.
SERVICE TO NATION
In 2016, Monica stepped into national leadership when President Yoweri Museveni appointed her Minister of Works and Transport. She approached the role the same way she approached golf -methodically, calmly, and with purpose.
Under her stewardship, Uganda saw progress in key infrastructure projects, including developments on the Entebbe Expressway and expansion works at Entebbe International Airport.
She also played a central role in the strategic groundwork that led to the revival of Uganda Airlines, a project that symbolised national ambition and connectivity. Her leadership style was rooted in openness.
She believed in consultation, maintained an open-door policy, and emphasized results over rhetoric. For her, leadership was about coordination and collective progress.
GIVING BACK
Even as her professional responsibilities grew, Monica never drifted far from the game that defined her second life. She served as president of the Uganda Ladies Golf Union, where she was instrumental in strengthening structures and promoting women’s participation in the sport.
Her influence extended beyond Uganda when she became president of the All Africa Challenge Trophy (AACT) and set up the East & Central All Africa Challenge Trophy (ECAACT) where she groomed Eva Magala – now lady professional golfer – to take over as the regional trustee, helping shape the development of women’s golf across the continent.
She not only played the game of birdies and bogeys, but also helped build pathways. Many of today’s female golfers in Uganda walk through doors she helped open.
LASTING MEMORY
To many, Monica was a minister. To others, a champion golfer. To me, she was something simpler – and rarer. A good human being! Her passing feels deeply personal. Yours truly feels like he’s literally been run over by border patrol – sudden, overwhelming, and deeply bruising.
Not because she was in my everyday life, but because she carried no darkness -only clarity, purpose, and kindness. She never won the Uganda Ladies Open. But perhaps that was never the point. Because in showing up, in giving, in leading, and in loving – Monica Ntege won something far greater than any title. People. Rest well, Monica! The fairways of heaven await your final, perfect swing.
Related
, https://observer.ug/news/monica-ntege-the-nearly-lady-who-defined-golf-rose-to-civil-service-acme/
