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Grace Munyirwa, founder of Vine Pharmacy and one of Uganda's most candid voices on business growth and business debt, joins Brenda to speak about his experience with business expansion and the financial pressure that comes along with it and some sound advice on financing options for business owners

In this episode, Daniel Kalinaki, a celebrated veteran journalist and media executive with the Nation Media Group, joins Brenda to reflect on his experience reporting on elections in Uganda over the last two decades, in a political system shaped by incumbency and familiar political rhythms.  The conversation covers balancing accuracy with access, the growing role of social media and disinformation in public discourse and the surprising role the political class plays in election reporting.

In the first episode of Season 3, returning guest, David F.K. Mpanga joins Brenda to speak about grief. As friends who each lost a parent in 2023, David and Brenda reflect on their experiences of grief, on how grief doesn’t stay the same but shifts, stretches, folds and reshapes itself as life goes on.  David also speaks about the unfair expectation for men to withhold emotion, and how therapy and community have impacted his grief journey.

After a break due to personal circumstances, Viewpoints with Brenda is back for its third season. New episodes with incredible guests will be dropping from 19 October 2025 onwards.  Do not forget to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter (X) @viewpointsbybn for updates.  Happy listening!

Our final episode of our second season features Nicholas Opiyo, the Founder and Executive Director and Lead Attorney at Chapter Four Uganda, a civil rights organization providing pro bono legal representation for marginalized and underserved communities in Uganda. Since 2005, Nicholas has been at the forefront of championing civil rights and political freedoms for underserved communities in Uganda. For his work, Nicholas has received several awards including the German Africa Prize in 2017, Voices for Justice Award from Human Rights Watch in 2015, the European Union Parliament Sakharov Fellows Prize in 2016, the Alison Des Forges award for extraordinary activism in 2015 and the Tulip Human Rights Prize by the Dutch Government in 2021.  Currently, Nicholas is a Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Carr Centre for Human Rights Policy. Previously, he was a Visting Scholar at The Centre for African Studies, Stanford University in Palo Alto, California and a Visiting Scholar at The Global Health Program, University of California San Francisco.  Nicholas is also an amateur photographer and an ardent soccer fan, supporting SC Villa in Uganda and Manchester United in the United Kingdom. Nicholas speaks about the most pressing human rights concerns in Uganda at present, how social media is shaping the discourse around human rights all over the world and renewing commitment to the rule of law in Uganda. Nicholas also speaks about how participants in civil society could reclaim public conversation in connection with the protection of civil liberties.  Nicholas also shares his love for SC Villa, a leading football club in Uganda. *Note: This episode was recorded prior to Chapter Four resuming its operations in June 2022, after a successful challenge before the High Court of Uganda.

Dr. Nataliey Bitature is the Chief of Staff at the Simba Group, an East African group of companies spanning hospitality, energy, telecom, real estate and a foundation, where she oversees operations, impact and partnerships across these sectors within Uganda. She is also the founder of Musana Carts, a social enterprise building solar-powered street food vending carts and HER, an online mentorship platform with over 3000 young African women. Nataliey has been recognised as a business leader and innovator by Forbes 30 Under 30, the World Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and World Economic Forum. She serves as a director on several boards including the boards of Uganda Property Holdings Ltd, the Makerere Innovation and Incubation Centre, Start-up Hub, Capital Solutions Social Innovation Fund, Save the Children Africa's advisory board and the Quinn Abenakyo Foundation. Nataliey speaks about her experience overcoming gender bias and her experience in leadership as a C-suite executive in a predominantly male arena. She also speaks about the role critical thinking has played in her leadership style and her proudest moments at the Simba Group.

Michael Niyitegeka is the Program Director, Refactory at Clarke International University in Uganda and the ICDL Africa Country Manager for Uganda. He has over 20 years' experience in the ICT sector and has worked with several government, private, regional and international institutions. Michael is passionate and devoted to human capital development for the ICT sector in Uganda. Under Refactory, his flagship project, he has trained over 250 junior developers with an 80% placement rate in the ecosystem in the last three years. He is also a Franklin Covey Certified Facilitator and a proud Rotarian.  In this episode, Michael speaks about what can be done to bridge the tech skills gap in Uganda and the continent at large, including suggestions on how to reform curricula and what more can be done on the continent to grow and retain tech talent. Michael also speaks about his passion for Rotary International.

Muthoni Waigwa is a Kenyan creative entrepreneur with over 12 years’ experience in the media and entertainment industry. She is a digital content producer and creator and the co- founder of a graphic design and audio-visual production company, Nifty Works Plus Limited, which has been in operation for over 8 years. Muthoni is also a podcast producer and the host of Moments with Nderru Podcast which was launched in March 2020.  On this episode, Muthoni speaks about creating and producing African content, barriers to consumption of African content and possible policy and other infrastructure improvements that may address the daily challenges African players in the creative space face.

Aga Sekalala Jr.  is a Ugandan entrepreneur, investor, business executive and innovator.  Aga is the founder, former CEO and executive chairman of Radio Simba, one of Uganda’s most popular radio stations.  He is also the Executive Director of Ugachick, a major poultry operation in Uganda, a former Board Chair of KCB Bank and a former Board member of the Uganda Investment Authority and the Uganda Export Promotion Board. Aga is  currently the Vice Chairman of the Uganda Manufacturers Association and Chairman of the Poultry Producers of Uganda. Aga speaks about his experience in managing one of the most successful cross-generational businesses in Uganda -- from the role stewardship, mentorship and family principles have played in the business to the importance of financial readiness. Aga also speaks about balancing family dynamics in a family business and the advantages of vertical integration to his family's poultry business. Aga also speaks about why (for now) institutional investors are preferred to venture capital or private equity as a source of funding for his family's business.

Nshuti Lucy Mbabazi is the Lead for Africa Advocacy & Partnerships at the United Nations Better than Cash Alliance, tasked with ensuring that digital payments reach and work for every African. Nshuti holds several advisory roles with a number of organizations such as  Girl Effect, Girls in ICT Rwanda, Leo Africa Institute, BBOXX Rwanda and RICTA Rwanda. Nshuti previously worked with Rwanda Development Board, Visa Inc. and Ecobank Group.  On this episode, Nshuti breaks down the misconceptions around cashless economies and explains how cashless economies can facilitate financial inclusion. Nshuti also speaks about the policies that African stakeholders in government and the private sector can adopt to ensure innovation and inclusion in the digital payments sector.

Benjamin Rukwengye is a thought leader in the education and professional development space in Uganda and the founder and CEO of Boundless Minds, a mentorship social enterprise focusing on soft-skilling as a pathway to accelerate school-to-work transition for students.  He is the founding chairman of 40 Days Over 40 Smiles Foundation, a leading local philanthropy movement, a Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur, a KAS Youth4Policy Fellow, a Young and Emerging Leaders Project Fellow and has been named by Uganda’s New Vision as one of Uganda’s Top 40 under 40.  Benjamin speaks about the inspiration behind Boundless Minds and the important work that Boundless Minds is doing with young adults to prepare them for the workplace. He also speaks about the importance of starting mentorship early and why mentoring should be encouraged in the workplace.  Benjamin also speaks about his experience as a Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur and the impact this has had on his organization and his career.

Juliana Kagwa is the Director of Corporate Relations at Uganda Breweries Limited, a subsidiary of Diageo in Uganda. Juliana has had quite the career, having risen through the ranks at  Diageo, from a graduate trainee to her current role in management.  She has over 15 years' experience in marketing, strategy and innovation in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG)  sector. More recently, Juliana has taken on the Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs function at Uganda Breweries Limited. Juliana speaks about how a customer-centric approach has informed marketing strategies at Uganda Breweries Limited over the years,  the evolution of marketing throughout her career, the role that the digital age has played in enhancing marketing strategies and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Juliana also speaks about her favourite campaigns and innovations; from the Smirnoff Nightlife Experience to Uganda Waragi Pineapple; and gives excellent career tips for people who would want to follow a similar career path.

Listen to a sneak peek of Season 2 of Viewpoints with Brenda. New episodes with our incredible guests will be dropping from 8 April 2022 onwards.  Do not forget to follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter @viewpointsbybn for updates.  Happy listening!

Our final episode for our first season features Emuron Alemu, one of the most recognizable faces in advertising in Sub-Saharan Africa. Emuron is a multiple award-winning advertising creative who has created campaigns across a range of categories and disciplines. Presently, Emuron is the Chief Creative Officer at Betika.com and has won several Loeries, African Cristals Awards, MSK awards and Cannes Lions. Emuron speaks about his journey in advertising from his agency days at Ignition in Uganda to working in-house at Betika.com, his favourite campaigns from his agency days, his favorite campaign at Betika.com and his most exciting awards. Emuron also shares the story behind what many consider to be the most impactful African campaign of the past decade, " The Most Eligible Bachelor", a multiple award-winning awareness campaign that was created for the Ole Pejeta Conservancy to save the white rhino from extinction. Emuron also shares advice for young creatives who are looking to advertising as a career.

Isaac Kwaku Fokuo Jr. is the Founder and Principal of Botho Emerging Markets Group, an investment and strategy advisory firm with offices in Nairobi, Dubai, and Chicago and the co-founder of the Amahoro Coalition, an initiative convening private sector firms in Africa to accelerate the economic inclusion of refugees. With two decades of experience working in 20 markets across North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, Isaac has an extensive and successful track record in investment facilitation, strategy consulting, and policy advisory across sectors including Finance, Technology, Healthcare, Education and more. Isaac is also an angel investor to start-ups based in Africa and the Middle East. Isaac is  a 2014 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow, a Trustee of Hanover College, advisor to the China Africa Tech Initiative, and serves on several boards.  Isaac speaks about the investment landscape on the continent including the top opportunities for investment, post-pandemic prospects and the biggest perceived risks facing investors looking to Africa as an emerging market.  Isaac also speaks about the Amahoro Coalition, an African-led initiative convening the African private sector to expand access to education and livelihood opportunities for refugees and other displaced persons. Check out the Afro-Catalyst Podcast presented by Isaac and the Botho Emerging Markets Group to hear from more African trailblazers.