Leadership
Leadership & Governance
Meet the leaders guiding Restore University’s governance, academic purpose, and long-term mission.
Restore University Leadership
Chancellor
Chancellor
Dr. Bob Goff
Chancellor; Director, Board of Directors
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Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Jody Luke
Board Chairperson
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Board of Directors
Ms. Lavendah Namyalo
Director and Company Secretary; Member, University Council
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Board of Directors
Richard Apire
Director
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Board of Directors
Ralph Ochan
Director
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University Council Members
University Council
Rev. Canon Dr. John M.M. Senyonyi
Chairperson, University Council
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University Council
Prof. Elizabeth Auma Opiyo
Vice Chairperson, University Council
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University Council
Prof. Elizabeth Kukunda Bacwayo
Member, University Council
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University Council
Prof. Jack Pen-Mogi Nyeko
Member, University Council
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University Council
Eng. Isaac J. M. Kasana
Member, University Council
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University Council
Prof. Obwoya Kinyera Sam
Member, University Council
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University Council
Counsel Joel Basoga
Member, University Council
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University Council
Mrs. Mary Ethel Katarikawe
Member, University Council
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Vice Chancellor
Vice Chancellor
Dr. David Fugoyo Baime
Vice Chancellor; Member, University Council
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Leadership for love, justice, and academic excellence.
Restore University is committed to following the leadership principles and life example of Jesus Christ. As a faith-based institution of higher learning, the University is motivated by the love of Christ to restore love and justice in a broken world.
Dr. Bob Goff serves as Chancellor of Restore University and as a Director on the Board of Directors.
His leadership reflects the university’s aspiration for whimsy, wonder, and academic excellence as it prepares to educate future leaders for Uganda and beyond.
Jody Luke serves as Board Chairperson, helping provide governance oversight for Restore University as it develops as a quality, community-centred institution.
Ms. Lavendah Namyalo serves as Director and Company Secretary on the Board of Directors, and as a member of the University Council.
His Highness Rwot Richard Santo Apire is a distinguished Cultural Leader (Rwot) in Acholiland, Uganda, and a highly accomplished finance and development professional with over five decades of experience in public administration, financial management, institutional development, and leadership.
Rwot Apire served at the Bank of Uganda for more than 30 years, culminating in his retirement in 2003 as Director of the Development Finance Department. Prior to this role, he served as Director of the External Debt Management Office, where he played a key role in the management of Uganda’s external debt portfolio and broader financial sector development.
Following his retirement from the Central Bank, Rwot Apire served as Manager, Credit at Tropical Africa Bank Ltd. He has also served on numerous corporate and public sector boards as a Director, including the National Housing and Construction Corporation, Housing Finance Bank, and Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited.
Rwot Apire further served as Chairperson of the Electricity Regulatory Authority, where he oversaw significant developments in Uganda’s electricity sector. He currently serves as Vice Chairperson of the University Council of Gulu University.
A respected finance and development specialist, Rwot Apire has been instrumental in the establishment, management, and governance of several financial institutions and development initiatives. He is recognized for his results-oriented leadership, strategic vision, and proven track record in managing departments, projects, and multidisciplinary teams. His expertise spans financial analysis, project management, institutional development, corporate governance, and team building.
Rwot Apire is happily married and is blessed with eight children and many grandchildren.
Ralph William Ochan is a long-serving public servant who dedicated nearly five decades, from 1973 to 2022, to Uganda’s government. He served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and later as Administrator General and Public Trustee in the Ministry of Justice, protecting families’ rights.
As Secretary to the Judiciary, working alongside Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki and Principal Judge James Ogoola, he championed the integration of Alternative Dispute Resolution, helping elevate Uganda’s judiciary to one of the most well-facilitated in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Towards the end of his public service, Ralph was appointed Judge of the High Court, where he served for five years before being appointed Chairman of the Public Service Commission, the body responsible for the appointment of public servants into the Central Government, a position he held until his retirement in May 2022.
In 2025, Ralph was awarded a National Heroes Day medal by the President of Uganda for his exceptional and enduring service.
Ralph is married to Mary Oduka Ochan. Together, they are blessed with seven sons, three daughters, and fourteen grandchildren.
Rev. Canon Dr. John M.M. Senyonyi accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour on June 18, 1976. He is an academic, a higher education administrator, a priest in the Anglican Church of Uganda, a Canon of All Saints Cathedral Kampala, an evangelist, and a teacher of God’s Word. He holds a PhD in Mathematical Statistics from the University of Melbourne, a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nairobi, and a Master of Arts degree in Evangelism/Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, USA. He served as a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics at Makerere University before his call into itinerant evangelism with African Evangelistic Enterprise from 1988. From January 2001, he served in three administrative portfolios at Uganda Christian University before his final position as Vice Chancellor of UCU from 2010 to 2020. He retired in 2020.
Currently, he is the Managing Director of Bethel Counselling and Consultancy Centre. He chairs and sits on several Christian NGO boards and university governance organs. He is often consulted on higher education by universities on governance and management streamlining. He also serves as Chairman of the National Research and Innovation Programme Committee, Ministry of Science and Technology.
Dr. Senyonyi is married to Canon Dr. Ruth Senyonyi. They have four adult children, Sarah, John-Paul, Benjamin, and Matthew, and seven grandchildren.
Prof. Elizabeth Auma Opiyo is an academic and a researcher. She holds a PhD in Zoology from the University of Nairobi, Kenya; a Master of Science in Medical Parasitology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, UK; and a Bachelor of Science in Botany and Zoology from the University of Nairobi, Kenya.
Prof. Elizabeth previously worked as a researcher at the East African Trypanosomiasis Research Organization, Tororo, Uganda. At the collapse of the East African Community, she moved to the Kenya Trypanosomiasis Research Institute at Kikuyu in Kenya, now the Biotechnology Institute of the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization. She then worked as a Research Entomologist and Head of the Tsetse group at the FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratory in Seibersdorf, Austria. She has been involved in collaborative research projects funded by NIH/NAID, Bioinnovate, FIND, the World Bank/MSI, DANIDA, and UNDP among others.
She has served on UNDP/WORLD BANK/WHO as a temporary advisor on the Steering Committee on Epidemiology, Vector Biology and Control of African Trypanosomiasis, Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, Geneva, Switzerland. She has also served as a member of technical advisory groups and university councils, and now serves as a member and Deputy Chairperson of the Restore University Council in Amuru, northern Uganda.
Currently, she is involved in research, teaching, supervision, and mentoring of junior faculties and students, especially in Neglected Tropical Diseases and vector-borne diseases at Gulu University.
Kukunda Elizabeth Bacwayo is an Associate Professor of Governance and Development who currently serves as the Director of the Directorate of Postgraduate Studies at Uganda Christian University. An experienced academic and administrator, she has held several senior leadership positions at UCU, including Dean of the School of Research and Post Graduate Studies, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, and Founding Head of the Department of Development Studies.
She holds a PhD from the School of People, Environment and Planning at Massey University, New Zealand; a Master’s degree in International Development from The Australian National University; and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and Social Administration from Makerere University.
Bacwayo has considerable international experience, including service as a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence at Trinity Christian College, USA, a Visiting Professor at Mzumbe University, Tanzania, and a Post-Doctoral Researcher with the Nile Basin Research Programme at Bergen University, Norway. Her research interests span public policy, higher education, gender, development management, and social issues affecting vulnerable populations.
Beyond her teaching and research, Prof. Bacwayo is deeply involved in professional service. She sits on the councils of Ankole Western University and Restore University Project and has served as a council member of Uganda Christian University and its subcommittees.
Prof. Jack H. Pen-Mogi Nyeko graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine from Makerere University in 1975 and was admitted for a Master’s Degree in Entomology at the University of Nairobi in 1978. In 1983, he was admitted for a PhD of Makerere University under the African Regional Postgraduate Programme in Insect Science at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Nairobi, obtaining his PhD in 1988.
In 1989, he joined the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi as a Senior Research Fellow. He was appointed Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in 1993. In 1994, he was nominated a member of the Constituent Assembly by the President and was elected Member of Parliament for Kilak County in 1996.
In 2001, he was appointed Chairman of a Task Force to plan for the establishment of Gulu University and became the first and founder Vice Chancellor of Gulu University from 2001 to 2017. Currently, Prof. Nyeko is Chairperson of the Uganda Land Commission and Chancellor of Mbarara University of Science and Technology.
Isaac J. M. Kasana is an Electrical Engineer with experience spanning more than 40 years. He graduated from Makerere University in 1979 with a BSc Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering and later with a Master of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from the same university. He is registered by the Uganda Engineers’ Registration Board as a Professional Engineer, is a Fellow of the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers, and is a Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers of USA.
Currently, he is serving at Ndejje University, where he was contracted to establish and develop the Directorate for ICT Support. He also serves on various boards, including the governing Board of Mengo Hospital and the Provincial Board of Education of the Church of Uganda.
Previously, he served as CEO of Research and Education Network for Uganda, Director of University ICT Services at Uganda Christian University, General Manager of AFSAT Communications (U) Ltd, General Manager of AGMAN-ERA Ltd, and Technical Manager of Business Computer Systems Ltd. He also previously served on several national, professional, and regional boards and councils.
Isaac J. M. Kasana accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour on April 3, 1983, during an Easter service at Walthamstow Baptist Church in London. He has fellowshipped in various Baptist churches and served in Bible Study Fellowship leadership roles for more than 25 years. Isaac married Damallie in December 1981 at All Saints Church Kampala, and they have several adult children and grandchildren.
Prof. Obwoya Kinyera Sam is a distinguished Ugandan physicist, academic, and public sector leader with extensive experience in science, policy, and institutional governance. He currently serves as Chairperson of the Atomic Energy Council of Uganda, providing strategic leadership and oversight for the safe, secure, and peaceful use of atomic energy in accordance with national laws and international standards.
Prof. Obwoya previously served as an Associate Professor of Physics at Kyambogo University, where he contributed significantly to teaching, research, and mentorship in the physical sciences. His academic work includes publications in advanced materials science, notably in nanotechnology and green synthesis.
Beyond academia, he has held key national leadership positions, including Caretaker Principal of the Uganda Petroleum Institute Kigumba and Deputy Executive Chairperson of the National Planning Authority. His work continues to influence Uganda’s advancement in nuclear science, energy policy, and sustainable development.
Counsel Joel Basoga serves as a member of the University Council, supporting the governance and institutional development of Restore University.
Mrs. Mary Ethel Kwikiriza Katarikawe is an economist, statistician, and retired senior executive who dedicated over 37 years of service to the Bank of Uganda.
Her technical expertise is rooted in a strong academic background, holding Master’s degrees in Applied Economics and Demography, a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics and Applied Economics, and numerous refresher courses. For nearly three decades, she worked in the Research Department, where she formulated and implemented critical monetary policies and engaged in the compilation and interpretation of Uganda’s monetary and balance of payments data.
Beyond her professional career, she has served as a board member with the Uganda Investment Authority and Child Evangelism Fellowship Uganda. She is deeply committed to community service, serving as a Sunday school teacher at St. Luke’s Church Ntinda and a children’s leader in Bible Study Fellowship. Currently a pensioner, she remains active in agribusiness, focusing on hass avocado and eucalyptus cultivation.
Dr. David Fugoyo Baime is a dedicated academic. He holds a PhD in Theological Studies, Biblical Studies – Old Testament, from Africa International University in Nairobi, Kenya; a Master of Divinity in Biblical Studies from Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology; a Master of Business Administration in Institutional Leadership and Management from Uganda Technology and Management University; and a Bachelor of Arts in Theological Studies from Nile Theological College, Khartoum, Sudan.
Previously, David served as Head of Department, Deputy Vice Chancellor, and Vice Chancellor of Africa Renewal University in Uganda from 2014 to 2022. He also lectured in higher education institutions in South Sudan, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Currently, he serves as Vice Chancellor of Restore University. He leads The Foundation Ministries, which trains local church ministers in South Sudan and beyond. He sits on different councils and university boards, including the Africa International University Governing Council and The Gospel Coalition Africa Council. David is passionate about academia, research, and innovation, and he considers academia a calling through which he serves and helps transform humanity.
David is married to Joice, and they have three children.