Event Speakers
Dr William Tayeebwa
Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow of American council of Learned Societies
Dr William Tayeebwa
Senior Lecturer and Research Fellow of American council of Learned Societies
Dr. William Tayebwa is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University.He holds a Ph.D. in Communication [Media, Peace and Conflict] from Concordia University, Montreal, Canada. Dr. Tayeebwa’s areas of research and consultancy include the nexus between media with: environment, peace and conflict, health and agriculture.
Senior Researcher and Fellow of the American Council of Learned Socieities (ACLS)
Adonia Ayebare
Ugandan Ambassador to the UN
Adonia Ayebare
Ugandan Ambassador to the UN
Amb. Adonia Ayebare is a Journalist by Profession and a distinguished Diplomat who currently serves as Uganda's Ambassador to the United Nations. Prior to this, he served as the Permanent Secretary for Uganda to the United Nations. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication, obtained in 1993, from Makerere University, in Kampala. He has two Master of Arts degrees, one from Long Island University and the other from Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. His two doctoral degrees were obtained from Indiana University and Rutgers University in the United States.
Opolot Nicholas
Programme Officer, Konrad Adenaeur Stiftung Uganda and South Sudan
Opolot Nicholas
Programme Officer, Konrad Adenaeur Stiftung Uganda and South Sudan
Opolot Nicholas L’akwang is a Cyber Lawyer, Social Entrepreneur and Climate Change Activist with extensive experience working in the civic technology, media and knowledge sectors. Currently he works with Konrad Adenaeur Stiftung Uganda and South Sudan as Programme Officer. As a prolific writer, Opolot has authored articles on a wide range of issues such as Climate Change, 4IR in Uganda, Africa’s digital economy, the future of work and the Start-Ups Ecosystem. He is a member of the Internet Society Uganda Chapter and a World Economic Forum, Global Shaper.
Anna Reismann
Country Director, KAS Uganda
Anna Reismann
Country Director, KAS Uganda
Anna Reismann is the current Country Director for the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Uganda and South Sudan. For more than a decade, she has been actively involved in European and International Cooperation. From 2008 to 2010, she was working as a Deputy Country Director of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Ukraine before managing a Brussels-based project of the European Network of Political Foundations (ENoP) on the EU enlargement towards the Western Balkan countries. Since 2012 she has served as Policy Advisor Andean Countries, Central America and Mexico at the headquarters of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Berlin, Germany.
Raymond Mujuni
Investigative Journalist
Raymond Mujuni
Investigative Journalist
Mujuni Raymond is an investigative journalist in East Africa currently working with Nation Media Group as an Editor and show Host for the Fourth Estate program. He is the Deputy Director at the African Institute for Investigative Journalism, a non-profit home of Investigative reporting in Uganda. He has been at the centre of reporting for stories on income inequality, technology innovations and Uganda's development agenda. Raymond is a thought leader and fellow with LeO Africa Institute's Young and Emerging Leaders Fellowship, a programme seeking to provide homegrown, thought-driven, solutions to the problems facing Sub-Saharan Africa.
Kwezi Tabaro
Deputy Director, LéO Africa Institute
Kwezi Tabaro
Deputy Director, LéO Africa Institute
Kwezi is Deputy Director of the LéO Africa Institute. He is also the current editor of the Institute publication, the LéO Africa Review.
He is passionate about governance and development in Africa.
His articles have appeared in The Independent and Daily Monitor, and he is a regular contributor to the Africa news and data visualizer Africapedia.
Wanjuhi Njoroge
Founder, People Planet Africa
Wanjuhi Njoroge
Founder, People Planet Africa
Wanjuhi Njoroge is the founder of Nelig Group, a conglomerate involved in Media & ICT, Sustainability and Inclusive Development. Wanjuhi is passionate about people and the planet and has gained extensive experience working with rural communities particularly those living around forests as well as assisting government agencies and organizations incorporate sustainability into their businesses thus increasing their positive impact and profit.
Besigye Andrew
Public Policy and Communications Expert, Ministry of ICT
Awel Uwihanganye
Founder, LéO Africa Institute
Awel Uwihanganye
Founder, LéO Africa Institute
Awel Uwihanganye is the Founder and Senior Director - LéO Africa Institute; Empowering Young & Emerging Leaders to Succeed, live high Impact and Fulfilled Lives. He is a social entrepreneur, passionate about public service and a social justice champion. He is committed to projects and initiatives aiming to move Africa and its communities forward. Awel is a Fellow of the African Leadership Initiative East Africa (ALI), and a Member of the Aspen Institute’s Global Leadership Network (AGLN).
Dr. Paul Kasenene
Wellness and Nutrition Specialist
Dr. Paul Kasenene
Wellness and Nutrition Specialist
Dr. Paul Kasenene is a medical doctor and certified functional Medicine Practitioner specializing in nutrition, functional and lifestyle Medicine. He is also a wellness expert with a passion to help people achieve optimal health and wellbeing through natural, dietary & lifestyle methods. He specifically has a strong belief that superior nutrition can support your body to be well and heal itself of illness and disease without or with minimal need for medicine and drugs. Dr Kasenene has over 8 years’ experience in the wellness and integrative health industry during which time he has helped many of his clients reverse chronic disease, lose weight and restore their health.
Alex Taremwa
Digital Journalist and Academic, Aga Khan University, Kenya
Alex Taremwa
Digital Journalist and Academic, Aga Khan University, Kenya
Alex Taremwa is a Ugandan Multimedia Journalist and Media Scholar. He currently consults for UNICEF Uganda, Matooke Republic and his alma mater the Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications (GSMC) as an Editor and a Teaching Assistant respectively. His MA research thesis was on the Viability of Digital Subscription in Uganda; a case study of ChimpReports.
Moses Owiny
ED Centre for Multilateral Affairs Uganda (CfMA)
Moses Owiny
ED Centre for Multilateral Affairs Uganda (CfMA)
Moses Owiny is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Multilateral Affairs (CfMA). He has over 10 years of ICT4D implementation and practice. He has contributed to debates and policy discourses at multi-stakeholder platforms at domestic, regional and global level. His primary areas of research include: Cyber Security and State Capacity in Uganda. He is a member of the 2021 RightsCon Program Committee on ‘Norms, Accountability and Practice’. He is currently researching the influence of cyber norms in fostering Uganda’s bi-lateral and multilateral relations for responsible state behavior in cyberspace. He is passionate about multilateral politics, defense and security and international law.
Dr. Okello Ayen
to Director Public Health & Environment, Kampala Capital City Authority
Dr. Okello Ayen
to Director Public Health & Environment, Kampala Capital City Authority
Dr Okello is a Public Health Specialist with a keen interest in Urban Health and is the lead technical person for the COVID 19 response. In addition, he is a member of the National COVID 19 technical task force and supports the COVID 19 scientific committee of the Uganda Ministry of Health.
Jacob Eyeru
Chairperson of the National Youth Council
Jacob Eyeru
Chairperson of the National Youth Council
Dr. William Tayebwa is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University.He holds a Ph.D. in Communication [Media, Peace and Conflict] from Concordia University, Montreal, Canada. Dr. Tayeebwa’s areas of research and consultancy include the nexus between media with: environment, peace and conflict, health and agriculture.
Mathias Kamp
Policy Advisor East Africa, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
Mathias Kamp
Policy Advisor East Africa, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
Mathias Kamp has been working as Policy Advisor in the Department for Sub-Saharan Africa of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung since April 2020. Before that he headed the KAS country office for Uganda and South Sudan based in Kampala for five years.
He is a political scientist with a Master's degree in International Relations and Development Policy and a specific focus on democracy promotion and civic education. Before moving to Berlin in 2020, he lived and worked in different African countries for more than 10 years. While at the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, he has researched and published on the role of social media for democratic development in Africa.
Abubakar Matanda
Advocate and ANT Youth Leader
Abubakar Matanda
Advocate and ANT Youth Leader
Matanda studied a Bachelor’s Degree in Law at IUIU. He then pursued a Masters, in the same field at Uganda Christian University, specializing in Oil and Gas, after which, he completed the bar course at the Law Development Center. He is an Advocate of the High Court of Uganda and all courts of Judicature. He is also the Youth Leader for the Alliance for National Transformation.
Adeke Anna
District Woman MP, Soroti
Adeke Anna
District Woman MP, Soroti
She is a Ugandan Lawyer and Politician. She is a Member of Parliament representing Women in Soroti District, in the 11th Parliament (2021–2026). She previously served as the parliamentary representative of the National Female Youth Constituency in the 10th parliament, (2016–2021)
Agnes Igoye
Deputy National Coordinator Anti-Trafficking – Directorate of Immigration
Agnes Igoye
Deputy National Coordinator Anti-Trafficking – Directorate of Immigration
Agnes Igoye, a 2018 Aspen New Voices Fellow - is a Ugandan social worker and campaigner against human trafficking. She serves as the country's Deputy chair of the National Prevention of Trafficking in Persons office – Uganda. In addition to being the Training Manager at the country's Directorate of Citizenship and Immigration Control, She is also the founder of the Dream Revival Centre for survivors of human trafficking. Igoye has been the recipient of a number of awards such as the 2016 Diller-Diane von Furstenberg International Award, University of Minnesota's Distinguished Leadership Award for Internationals in 2014, and made the 2017 Clinton Global Initiative University Alumni Honor Roll.
Solomon Serwanjja
Executive Director, AIIJ
Solomon Serwanjja
Executive Director, AIIJ
Solomon Serwanjja is a Ugandan investigative journalist and the Executive Director of the African Institute for Investigative Journalism (AIIJ). In 2019, Serwanjja was awarded the Komla Dumor Award, an annual award given by the BBC to celebrate African journalists. He holds a Masters Degree in Journalism and Communication from Makerere University. Serwanjja is a United Nations Reham al-Farra Memorial Journalism fellow 2018 and has worked as a news anchor and reporter for several television stations in East Africa including NBS TV, KTN News, NTV Uganda, UBC TV.
Lynna Abaho
Labour Support Officer, Ministry of Gender
Lynna Abaho
Labour Support Officer, Ministry of Gender
Lynna Abaho, a Huduma Public Service Fellow - currently works with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) as a Labour Support Officer handling complaints and welfare issues affecting migrant workers in destination countries. Her current role has allowed her to help hundreds of Ugandan migrant workers get justice and improve their work standards. Her love for social justice informs her pursuit of a world with equality and equity for every human being.
Ojok Okello
Social Commentator, Humanitarian and Entrepreneur
Ojok Okello
Social Commentator, Humanitarian and Entrepreneur
Ojok Okello is a social entrepreneur, community organizer and development manager trained from Makerere and the LSE. Earlier in his career, Ojok worked on many post-conflict reconstruction projects in Northern Uganda. He later worked at the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung before founding Okere City, an ambitious integrated rural development project on a journey to build a sustainable city in my remote and rural village in Otuke District, Northern Uganda. Ojok is an Ashoka Visionary Fellow, PfAL Fellow and is an alumnus of President Barack Obama's Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) in East Africa.
Rushongoka Wa Mpiira
Sustainability Expert
Rushongoka Wa Mpiira
Sustainability Expert
Rushongoka Wa-Mpiira’s work and interest sit at the intersection of ecosystems restoration and sustainable food systems as major catalysts for climate action. He’s currently the lead restorationist at Nyanza Ecological, an independent company that is driving impact investment into restoration in the Albertine Rift region. Rusho is an ardent champion of the organic food movement. He’s a master fellow of the IFOAM’s Organic Leadership Academy and an IFOAM global ambassador.
Daniel Kalinaki
Executive Editor, Nation Media Group and Uganda Editors Guild
Daniel Kalinaki
Executive Editor, Nation Media Group and Uganda Editors Guild
Daniel is a Ugandan journalist, editor, trainer and author. He is currently Managing Editor in charge of regional projects and editorial convergence at the Nation Media Group in Nairobi, Kenya. He previously edited the Daily Monitor in Uganda where he maintains a weekly column, and ran the Kampala bureau of The East African newspaper.
Blanshe Musinguzi
Journalist, Africa Report
Blanshe Musinguzi
Journalist, Africa Report
Musinguzi holds a Master of Science in Data Journalism Degree from Columbia Journalism School. He is a writer for the Africa Report and Uganda Radio Network. His works have been published by Pulitzer Center, Rest of World and he has also contributed to reporting in the New York Times.
Dr. Benedict Akimana
Pyschiatrist, Butabika Hospital
Dr. Benedict Akimana
Pyschiatrist, Butabika Hospital
He is a graduate of Human medicine (M.B.Ch. B). He also has a Master of Medicine in Psychiatry. He is a clinical academician with experience in research, teaching and clinical work. Akimana’s research interests include; Non-communicable diseases especially Cancer and mental health. Dr Akimana is also a mental health advocate, creating mental health awareness through video clips on his YouTube channel
Susan Nandudu
Executive Director, ACTADE
Susan Nandudu
Executive Director, ACTADE
Susan Nanduddu is a development practitioner with keen interest in climate change issues, particularly the adaptation response measure. She supports knowledge sharing in various formats in Uganda and beyond. She keenly follows issues of climate finance which is a core means of implementation for climate change adaptation in developing countries. She heads the team at the African Centre for Trade and Development, a Non-Governmental Organisation that promotes sustainable development, based in Kampala, Uganda
Peter Benhur Nyeko
CEO @Mandulis Energy
Peter Benhur Nyeko
CEO @Mandulis Energy
Benhur is a CleanTech Entrepreneur. He is the Director and Co-Founder of Mandulis Energy, a company that develops Renewable Energy projects in Africa, to deliver energy that is productive, as well as affordable, reliable and sustainable; alongside value added services. Peter Nyeko has served in different capacities, some of which include: Director [Bencolly Group]; Non-Executive Director [Kampala Diplomatic School]; Non-Executive Director [Dream Shuttle – Agriculture]. He is also a 2017 Fellow at Laudato Si’ Challenge.
Cathy Adengo
Stanbic Bank Uganda, Head of Sustainability
Cathy Adengo
Stanbic Bank Uganda, Head of Sustainability
Cathy Adengo is a Corporate Affairs expert with over 18 years of Managerial and Executive advisory experience across the private and public sectors and a proven track record in Corporate Communications, Government and Public Affairs, Issues and Risk Management, Sustainable Business, CSR and Reputation Management. She studied a Bachelors of Arts in Business Management from the University of Kent. She also pursued a postgraduate in Business Sustainability at the University of Cambridge. Currently, she serves as the Head of Sustainability, Stanbic Bank Uganda.
Claire Leduc
Cooperation Attache, French Embassy
Claire Leduc
Cooperation Attache, French Embassy
Claire Leduc is a Cooperation Attachée at the Embassy of France to Uganda in charge of the relationship with civil society. After graduating from a double Masters degree in International Relations and Human Rights from Sciences Po Lyon (France) and the London School of Economic and Political Science (LSE - UK), she started her career in NGOs in a variety of countries including Bolivia, Mexico and Tunisia. She joined the Embassy of France to Uganda in 2020 to act as the gender equality, human rights and development focal point. She is handling project development and monitoring as well as coordinating advocacy and communication efforts in her fields of expertise.
Twasiima.P.Bigirwa
feminist writer, lawyer and activist
Twasiima.P.Bigirwa
feminist writer, lawyer and activist
Twasiima (Tricia) Bigirwa is a feminist lawyer and writer from Uganda working with Segal Family Foundation where she drives strategy and oversees grantmaking in the country. Twasiima also serves as a part of the Board of Trustees at Womankind Worldwide and is on the advisory committee of FRIDA, The Young Feminist Fund. She has an LL.B. from Makerere University and an LL.M. from Georgetown University – Law Center.
Patience Atuhaire
BBC Reporter
Patience Atuhaire
BBC Reporter
Patience Atuhaire is a Kampala-based Broadcast Journalist/Correspondent with BBC Africa. She also keeps an eye on news and events in South Sudan and the Great Lakes region. She has worked as a producer on the BBC World Service radio’s flagship breakfast program. Having started out as a newspaper journalist, her career in the Ugandan media industry has spanned public relations as well as radio reporting. She is passionate about telling the stories that may not necessarily be in the news cycle. Patience has won a few awards for her work.
Allan Chekwech
Co-Head Production Hub, Nation Media Group Uganda
Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
Research Fellow, George Washington University's Program on Extremism
Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
Research Fellow, George Washington University's Program on Extremism
Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi is a research fellow at George Washington University's Program on Extremism where he focuses on the translation, archiving, readaction and analysis of internal Islamic State documents. He is also a PhD candidate at Swansea University where he focuses on the role of historical narratives in Islamic State propaganda. For his insights on the Islamic State, Iraq and Syria, he has been quoted in a wide variety of media outlets, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, AFP and Associated Press.
Neema Iyer
Founder, Pollicy Org
Neema Iyer
Founder, Pollicy Org
Neema is the Global Women’s Safety Advisor at Facebook. She is also an artist and a technologist. She is the founder and director of Pollicy, a civic technology organization based in Kampala, Uganda.
Alexandra Hacke
Political Science Major, University of Bonn
