After three months of searching for the TOP 40 under 40 nominees, from last December 2021 to February 2022, the judges declared winners who exhibited ingenuity, community impact and the X factor. 

The winners are from across professional fields such as the arts, technology, academia, and finance. Below are the Top 20 women for the year 2021;

Agribusiness             

Rosemary Arinaitwe, 34, Proprietor, Rose taste wine company

Growing up, Arinaitwe dreamt of being an entrepreneur to help solve the unemployment problem. 

Years later after school, she decided to start a business by adding value to matooke which her family and neighbours in Isingiro district grow on a large scale.

In December 2020, Arinaitwe birthed Rose Taste wine company from scratch. She would get the raw materials such as matooke and fruit ingredients from her farm. 

She has grown the company from producing one jerry can to 10 drums of 120 litres every six months. It is located in Isingiro district.

She distils different brands of liquor and juice including; Red Rose sweet wine, Red rose sweet banana Juice and Rose waragi as a bi-product.

“My products are verified by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), and the demand grows every day,” she says.

“I offer employment to youth and buy matooke from the villagers,” she says.

She also trains youth in winemaking skills.

Arinaitwe juggles her business with her banking assistant job at a SACCO.

Education            

Dr. Jalira Namugaya, 39, Head of Maths Department, Muni University

As the head of the department, Dr. Namugaya is responsible for overseeing the departmental activities such as: lecturing and learning, chairing meetings, appraisals and staff profiling. 

Her work also involves carrying out research and publications.

Besides, she is the only PhD holder in her department, which means the big roles of mentorship and supervision fall on her shoulders. 

She ably handles that responsibility by networking with other professionals and lecturers outside Muni University. 

Namugaya is a member of the Eastern Africa Network for Women in Basic Sciences (EANWOBAS), Uganda Women Mathematicians (UGAWOM) and Organization for Women in Sciences for the Developing World (OWSD).

She is also an entrepreneur in Kabira village, Mpigi district, where she is the co-director of Jalhab ventures (u) ltd, a company that deals in commercial agriculture and employs 20 people.

Law 

Asmahaney Saad, 39, Managing partner, KTA Advocates 

Asmahaney Saad was recently appointed to lead KTA Advocates and in the process, she became the first female managing partner at the helm of the 13-year-old leading law firm in Uganda.

KTA specializes in technology, media, telecommunications, intellectual property, oil and gas and construction law.

Saad is an advocate, legal consultant and alternative dispute resolution practitioner with a speciality in corporate and commercial law, projects (oil and gas) and alternative dispute resolution.

 Her new role entails executing two jobs in one. The 39-year-old manages the day-to-day business operations of the firm including clients, processes and business profitability. 

She also practises law as the partner head for the corporate, commercial and projects department. 

“I oversee 26 staff and over 300 local, regional and international clients,” she says.

However, away from her legal practise career, Saad has held governance and leadership positions in the public and private spheres. 

Entrepreneurship/ Philanthropy

Dorah Mwima, 31, Founder, Dorah Mwima Foundation 

Mwima was crowned Miss Uganda (2008-2009) and since then she has turned herself into a philanthropist and entrepreneur employing 27 people in her businesses.

Through Dorah Mwima Foundation (DMF), a non-profit organization she founded in 2009, she focuses on prenatal and postnatal healthcare for mothers. 

She also creates awareness about basic health needs for newborns, toddlers and marginalized groups.

The mother of five supports single mothers and teenage mothers, plus their children with material and emotional support. 

“I am obliged to help teenage mothers because I was also a single mum at 19, but by God’s grace, I am now a happily married mum of five,” she explains.

With her team, they provide psycho-social and basic practical support during prenatal and postnatal check-ups to prevent complications during and after pregnancy.

 Mwima has also supported care facilities that look after the underprivileged and orphaned children. So far, over 200 children have received care through her foundation.

Leadership 

Clare A. Muga, 26, Founder, Evimero Leadership Academy

Muga envisions a world where young people are skilled and enabled to steer their future to thrive beyond the challenges of young adulthood. 

The 26-year-old is passionate about inspiring, equipping and mentoring young people. 

Through Evimero Leadership Academy, an initiative she runs, she equips young people with practical leadership skills to transform their lives and communities.

The academy has over the last three years impacted 800 beneficiaries with skills. 

She aims at equipping 25,000 young people by 2030.

“I lead the team while casting a clear vision of where the organization is going,” she says adding that, “I also guide them on a pattern and culture of operation and support them as they serve young people and implement our mission.”

Muga is also a leadership development coach, poet and author. She is hands-on in developing a pedagogy of learning for young people, as well as training and equipping them to lead.

 Aside from that, she offers consultation to organizations and freelance writing and editing services.

Recycling

Juliet Namujju, 25, Founder, Kimuli Fashionability

Through Kimuli fashionability in Maya, Mpigi district, Juliet Namujju recycles waste into waterproof garments and accessories.

The waste includes cement bags, polythene bags, milk packets, sugar and rice sacks among others.

She also employs disabled youth and other vulnerable young people who collect and clean the waste. 

The pieces are then blended with African fabrics, such as: kitenge, sisal and bark cloth and made into raincoats, shopping bags, wallets and earrings.

Aside from that, Namujju organizes fashion shows where she showcases the products. 

 Her work has been featured on CNN’s Inside Africa programme and on local media.

Activism

Penelope Sanyu, 33, Founder, Femme forte Uganda

Sanyu is a human rights defender and women’s rights advocate.

 She has a wealth of knowledge working with Civil Society Organizations (CSO), women’s movement and feminist organizations in Uganda.

She leads the team at Qweshunga, an outfit that creates a movement of people using ‘play’ as a tool to heal communities and deal with everyday struggles. 

Her team creates spaces for people especially women to heal through play therapy (qweshunga). 

They also engage them in conversations about taboo topics like abortion, consent and power dynamics among others. 

“Have impacted more than 800 girls and young women,” Sanyu says.

She is also the founder and chief steward at Femme forte Uganda, a movement-building organization which seeks to foster effective resilience, break barriers, and reach new heights for women in Uganda.

Philanthropy

Noreen Asekenye, 24, Founder, Tell a story Foundation

Noreen Asekenye uses stories to remind people to connect, care, empathize and love more.

  She began her philanthropy journey as an internee at 40 days over 40 Smiles Foundation. She did not finish the program and decided to start her foundation.

In 2018, she founded Tell a story foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) through which she empowers the marginalized youths, women and children to share their stories; good or sad.

She writes those stories with her team of 10 volunteers and shares them on her website and social media platforms.

Over 30 people including unsung change makers have had their stories documented on the Tell a Story blog.

Asekeny believes that everyone has a story to tell irrespective of age, gender, nationality or status. 

“People’s stories, despite being beautiful or ugly are important because they inspire and teach,” she says.

For the most pressing stories, the team organizes online fundraisings towards helping that individual. 

“We have so far helped 50 people including children, youth and women,” she affirms.

Some of the beneficiaries have got medical treatment, school fees, food, shelter and a source of income.

Social Entrepreneurship

Immaculate Nakyeyune, 32, Founder, Mkazipreneur

Immaculate Nakyeyune is a social entrepreneur, leader and speaker, who has achieved transformational growth in aiding women-led start-ups, SMEs through the use of technology, sales, and business strategy development.

Her commitment to the United Nations' sustainable development goals led her to into setting up a social enterprise called Mkazipreneur, a community platform which empowers female entrepreneurs with resources to thrive in their businesses.

Mkazipreneur has trained more than 6,000 entrepreneurs in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Ghana on a pro bono basis. 

She has also converted non-tech enabled women-led SMEs to technologically enabled businesses (SMEs). She connects them to markets through technology. 

Mkazipreneur also has a savings and investment platform with digitalization programmes that support women-led SMEs. 

Philanthropy

Sharon Katushabe, 29, Founder, Vase of Transformation

To Sharon Katushabe, nothing is as fulfilling as seeing young people’s dreams unfold. 

She enjoys working with them to achieve what they thought was out of their reach and going on to master the skills that seemed to be unattainable.

Through Vase of Transformation, a non-profit organization she birthed, she reaches young people, mostly those living in impoverished communities through a diverse range of programmes that address specific needs.

 She adds that she has so far impacted over 2,000 youth through projects such as: menstrual health and hygiene, unlocking the potential of child mothers, reducing gender-based violence (GBV), sexual reproductive health, and livelihood support. 

The beneficiaries are spread all over the country and in Ghana.

Throughout the COVID-19 lockdown, her team has been teaching girls in slums about menstrual hygiene and how to make reusable sanitary pads.

They also started online awareness campaigns to increase access to information and knowledge through various social media platforms. 

The team organized events on contraceptive usage in Africa and brought together thousands from different parts of the world.

Katushabe manages a team of 10 young change-makers from Uganda and Ghana. 

Health 

Grace Linda Nabatanzi, Founder, Beautiful Aspirations SMS Ltd

Grace Linda Nabatanzi is the founder of Beautiful Aspirations SMC Ltd. She is also a member of the International Association for Counsellors (IAC) based in Malta, Europe. 

Here, she offers professional counselling to employees, companies and organisations.   

She is an advocate for psychosocial support, especially in organisations and companies. In so doing, she runs mental health programmes.

From 2010 to 2012, Nabatanzi worked as a counsellor with Central Police Station (CPS) under the Child and Family Protection Unit. 

She later joined the defunct Crane Bank as a bank assistant.

 In 2016, she resigned to concentrate on her counselling career.

Currently, Nabatanzi has counselling programmes for companies like UMEME Ltd, Jubilee Insurance, MTN, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Unilever Uganda, and Davis & Shirtliff.

Leadership

Joanna Atukunda, 29, Co-founder, League of Young Professionals Uganda

Joanna Atukunda is the co-founder of the League of Young Professionals Uganda (LYPU), an organization that strives to improve the reading culture of young people.

The 29-year-old is passionate about nurturing a new breed of African readers. 

She is also general secretary of the Hope Initiative, which is under Centre for Constitution Governance (CCG). This organization champions youth empowerment and participation in political processes.

“We run a Leadership and Mindset Change programme (LMC) twice a year, where we nurture youth between 18 - 30 years,” she says.

Trainees are nurtured in different areas, including; knowing self and self-leadership, finding one’s life purpose, art of leading others, effective communication, emotional intelligence, personal branding, self-audit and accountability, reading and writing culture.

 “I have so far mentored over 100 university students, who have come back with success stories of employment, promotions, better grades and self-realization,” she says. 

Also, through the Uplift Slum-Afrika, another non-profit organization, Atukunda equips adolescents living in slums with comprehensive knowledge on sexual reproductive health rights and quality education. 

Leadership

Annet Lekuru, 32, Executive Director, Feminature Uganda

 Annet Lekuru is the executive director of Feminature Uganda, a women and youth empowerment organization based in West Nile. 

 She engages communities through rights education, sexual reproductive health rights, environmental conservation education and advocacy work. 

 In addition, through the civic education project, Lekuru supports young people across the country to understand their constitutional rights and responsibilities and to contribute to nation-building through non-violent ways.

 Lekuru also promotes professional mentorship through internship placements and volunteer opportunities for young graduates to enable them to get work experience and increase their employability.

 The 32-year-old is also a farmer. She owns an urban vegetable and rice farm and rears animals too.

 HIV/AIDS advocacy

Phionah Kusingura, 33, Co-founder, Tukundane charity organization

 Kusingura is a co-founder of Tukundane charity, an organization that restores hope in single mothers, young girls and other marginalized women living with HIV/AIDS.

 “I basically oversee all activities, programs and trainings. We work with over 100 women and girls who undertake different skills,” she says.

 The skills include; tailoring, backyard gardening, firelighters production and jewellery making. 

 Through the firelighters, Kusingura says, they promote clean energy. These substitute papers, polythene bags and paraffin which several families use to light stoves.

 “The firefighters are smoke-free. This way, families enjoy safe cooking, especially those that use charcoal,” she explains. 

 “With all those programs, we believe we are making a difference in the lives of women and girls affected by the virus,” she asserts.

 Kusingura also strives to bring more awareness to daily challenges that people living with HIV faces like stigma, discrimination, and violence.

 Peace & Reconciliation

Valeria Abatesi, 25, Coffee 4 Talk Initiative

 During her senior four vacation, Abatesi worked as a housemaid, office messenger and cleaner. 

She experienced the conflicts that people grapple within families and at their workplaces. 

 It’s against that background that she founded Coffee 4 Talk, an initiative that helps to foster peace and harmony in families and among workmates as they socialize.

 “I use coffee to build cohesion in communities and enable families to settle their disputes,” she affirms. 

 Coffee 4 Talk creates platforms such as coffee night events to bring family members together. 

Through these meetings, Abatesi trains participants on different parenting skills, children’s rights, and supports the development of transparency in family affairs. 

 These fundamentals have enabled hundreds of family members to individually appreciate their responsibilities in controlling family conflicts.

 Advocacy

Mary Lucy Athieno, 36, Founder, Eco-Pads Uganda 

 Athieno is Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) specialist. 

 She is also the founder of Eco pads Uganda, a social enterprise that makes reusable sanitary pads which she sells and also donates to girls and women in remote areas.

 She is passionate about enabling underprivileged girls to enjoy their freedom during menstruation.

 Athieno has supported thousands of girls and trained about 7,000 boys, 700 senior men and senior women teachers to make the pads. 

 The beneficiaries are spread all over Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania.

 Each trainee trains five colleagues at school and in the community.

 “I have also mentored 152 young people: one on one. I currently support seven students with fees,” she reveals.

 The 36-year-old also uplifts disadvantaged girls and women widowed by HIV/AIDS. 

 She works with Kadama Widows Association (KWA) which was formed by a group of widows in Kadama, Eastern Uganda. It supports families affected by HIV/AIDS.

  Entrepreneurship

Amanda Felly Baisuka, 26, Proprietor, Nanny a day Uganda

 Baisuka, a full-time hotelier juggles her job with two social enterprises she founded.

In 2019, she birthed Nanny a Day Uganda, a mobile babysitting company that employs seven graduates. She helps career women juggle work and motherhood. 

 Through social media, she links the mothers with trained babysitters for a day and in the process, employs the graduates mostly teachers. 

 On the side, the 26-year-old also runs Nze Marketing, a company she designed to help market products made by young people for young people.

 She says, the government and other stakeholders have put efforts into skilling young people, but they haven’t focused on how their products can be marketed yet they compete with cheaper products from companies with marketing budgets. 

 Away from her work, Baisuka also finds time to volunteer with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) including Uganda Youth Development Link (UYDL), The pain support organization and Ignite minds.

 Education

Gorretti Byomire, 38, Inclusive Education advocate

Byomire is a disability Inclusion advocate who envisions a world where persons with disabilities are loved and treated fairly across all spectrums.

She specializes in disability rights, Inclusive education, policy advocacy, technology and youth, particularly women and girls.

Through Byomire Inclusive Development Foundation Ltd (BIDF) she does advocacy work and runs projects on issues affecting Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). 

Meanwhile, Byomire has garnered over 15 years of teaching experience in the Faculty of Computing and Informatics at Makerere University Business School (MUBS).

There, she awards disability-friendly faculties, departments, staff, students and hostels.  

She is also the director of the Disability Resource and Learning Center (DRLC) at MUBS where she creates usable, equitable, accessible and inclusive learning environments responsive to all abilities and learning styles.

Additionally, every year, Byomire organizes events and also takes part in the celebrations to mark the International Disability Day.

 “I am also a member of MUBS council representing PWDs, member of MUBS Management (MCM), MUBS Technical Advisory Disability Committee (TADC) and MUBS focal person for the National Council for Disability (NCD),” she lists.

 Philanthropy

Lizza Marie Kawooya, 24, Founder, My Voice podcast

 Kawooya runs an advocacy campaign with 12 volunteers called the Re-usable menstrual Pads (RUMPs) through which she collects menstrual products and reading materials for communities in Nwoya district.

“This district has a high school girl dropout rate, child pregnancies and class absenteeism because of menstruation. The campaign helps to keep them in school,” she explains.

She supports 100 girls and child mothers in Ongai primary school in Alero sub-county. 

During the COVID 19 lockdown, Kawooya collected 20,000 books for 20 vulnerable communities through Books4friends’ project.

Relatedly, Kawooya is also the host and founder of My Voice podcast, a platform for sharing personal stories, experiences and opinions of youth and adolescents on different life topics. 

Also, Kawooya believes in the power of storytelling. She uses stories to rally other philanthropists to volunteer for a common cause. 

Kawooya also works as a business development manager at enjuba; a children’s education organization that focuses on the learning outcomes of children.  

She is currently fundraising to support 500 child mothers in four communities; Purungo, Koch lii, Koch Goma and Lungulu in Nwoya district.

 Philanthropy 

 Faridah Nakkazi, 30, Advocacy

 Nakkazi does advocacy for social behavioural change among the youth through counselling. 

She writes books such as Winning in the COVID pandemic which intends to help young people overcome stress, depression, fear and anxiety that were induced by the COVID- 19 scourge.

It also tackles issues such as drug abuse, unplanned and unwanted pregnancies to keep students focused on academics.

“I am also fascinated by Communication for Development (C4D). I also work as an independent communications consultant,” she says.

 Nakkazi also offers mentorship and counselling to youths and teenagers through literature.