Kagina started her career in 1985 as a teaching assistant at
Makerere University. She later moved to the
Office of the President. In 1992, she joined the URA as a senior principal revenue officer, serving in that capacity until 1998. In 2000, she was promoted to the rank of deputy commissioner for customs at URA, serving in that capacity until 2001. She was appointed commissioner general of URA in 2004. She is credited with improving the URA's financial performance. She was awarded the Corporate Leadership Award in February 2006, by Destiny Consult, an industry group, for turning around the performance of the tax body since her appointment to head the organization in 2004. In October 2010, her contract was renewed for another three years. Her monthly salary was reported to be UGX: 28 million (approximately US$11,250). On 27 April 2015,
John Byabagambi, the Ugandan Minister of Works and Transport at that time, appointed her as the executive director of the UNRA, effective 1 May 2015. ==Personal details==