Zakiia is passionate about youths and is who you can describe as a career volunteer. She has been involved in positive change initiatives for young people, working across religious and other ethic divides to connect youths with opportunities so that they can realise their full potential since 2015 whilst working with Youth Legal Relief, a youth led organisation whose main objective is sensitisation of the youth on legal matters so as to minimise crime rates amongst the youth. . Her area of expertise is criminal law and family justice, human rights especially Youth and children rights to better health and education in post conflict areas of North and North East Uganda. Zakiia takes a systems approach to engage policy makers and technocrats to design systems that are responsive to the needs of young people in line with the sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda of the United Nations (UN).

Zakiia obtained her law degree from Makerere University Kampala and a postgraduate diploma in legal practice from the Law Development Centre (LDC). Sheikhat Zakiia also possesses a High School certificate (Thanawi) in Islamic theological studies and Arabic Language of Bilal Islamic Institute Kakiri. She started her legal practice in 2013 as legal assistant at the law firm of Kafeero & Co Advocates.

Zakiia is a member of the Regional Sectoral Committee Sharia of Kampala Muslim Region that handles Islamic personal law such as marriage and divorce, family disputes, succession and inheritance matters under sharia law. She has worked with Muslim Women Civilization Imitative, a non-profit organisation that empowers women to improve their communities. She is the in-house Counsel for MUTKAI Foundation, a charitable organisation of Muslim Youths advocating for knowledge advancement.

Zakiia is currently working as the managing Partner of the law firm Nakachwa & Partners and heads the firm’s criminal litigation and Family law Practice departments. She does not hold anything back when it comes to defending those that she believes are being wrongly prosecuted and was part of the legal team that defended Charles Wesley Mumbere during his bail application. She also participated as part of the Togikwatako legal team that challenged the Amendment of Article 102(b) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda that removed the age limit cap for presidential candidates.