Jessica Eriyo

Jessica Eriyo, sometimes spelled Jesca Eriyo, is a Ugandan educator, social worker, politician and diplomat. Currently, she serves as the Deputy Secretary General of the East African Community, (EAC), responsible for Productive & Social Sectors. She was appointed to that position on 30 April 2012. She served a three-year term, renewable once. She replaced Beatrice Kiraso, another Ugandan, who served in that position between April 2006 and April 2012.

She was born in Adjumani District on 26 August 1969. Jessica Eriyo holds the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Social Science and the Diploma in Education. She also holds two certificates; a Certificate in Project Planning and Management and a Certificate in Computer Science. Her degree of Master of Arts degree in Development studies, was awarded by Makerere University.

In 1994, she worked as a high school teacher at Kololo Senior Secondary School in Kololo, an affuluent suburb of Kampala, the capital of Uganda and the largest city in that country. Between 1998 and 1999, she was a teacher at Our Lady Consolata Senior Secondary School. She served as the District Population Officer in Adjumani District, from 1999 until 2001. She entered politics in 2001, contesting for the parliamentary seat of Adjumani District Women's Representative. She won and was again re-elected in 2006 on the National Resistance Movement political party ticket. In 2006 she was appointed State Minister for the Environment, serving in that capacity until she was dropped from the cabinet in a cabinet reshuffle on 27 May 2011. Also, on 18 February 2011, she lost her parliamentary seat to Jesca Ababiku, an Independent. In April 2012, Jessica Eriyo was appointed Deputy Secretary General for Productive and Social Sectors at the East African Community, a position she will serve in for three years and to which she may be reappointed once only.

She served as the State Minister for the Environment in the Ugandan Cabinet, from 2006 until 2011. In the cabinet reshuffle of 27 May 2011, she was dropped from the cabinet and was replaced by Flavia Munaaba. She also served as the elected Member of Parliament representing Adjumani District Women's Constituency, from 2001 until 2011. In the 2011 national elections, she lost to Jesca Ababiku, an Independent candidate.