Ms. Rita Ddungu Sembuya is the lead founder of the Christopher Columbus Sembuya foundation (U) Ltd. After the passing on of Christopher Columbus Sembuya on 11th January 2022, in the wake of this reality, she took a paradigm shift to demystify death and chose to revisit the life of C. Columbus Sembuya and decided to do something about it.
As John Donne puts it, “death be not proud…………for thou not so.” Ref Holy Sonnet 10 by John Donne. Rita buried the death and surfaced with life. She reached out to likeminded persons who were impacted by their association with the late Christopher Columbus Sembuya (1936 – 2022).
WORK EXPERIENCE
Authorship
Article: The patients voice Oxford University Eshire Journal
SOCIAL INNOVATIONS
Rita is an Ashoka fellow elected 2003 for her health advocacy of founding the Joyce Fertility Support Center Uganda
AWARDS
The Global Patients Advocates Award by icsi-International Consumer Support for infertility Lyon France 2007.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
BOARD MEMBERSHIP
PROFESSION
WHAT SHE BRINGS INTO THE FOUNDATION
Racheal Lubega, is a dynamic professional with over 22 years of expertise in corporate event management, entrepreneurship, and training. She brings to the foundation vast knowledge and experience.
Rachel is the Chairperson for Professional Conference Organizers and a board member the Uganda Association for Conferences and Incentive Industry, Vice Chair of Mpererwe Development SACCO and. She is also the professional cluster chairperson at Uganda Women Entrepreneurs Association Ltd, fostering networking and mentorship among women executives.
JACKIE C. NANSUBUGA
Founder Member, Christopher Columbus Sembuya Foundation (U) Ltd (2023)
Jackie Nansubuga is a highly motivated and results-driven trainer and event manager with over 22 years of extensive experience providing expert advice and managing highlevel projects. She is an excellent communicator with strong interpersonal skills and a proven ability to build and maintain meaningful relationships.
Career Highlights
Jackie’s career journey includes key roles that have shaped her expertise and dedication:
Community Development
Educational Background
University
Contributions to the Foundation
Jackie brings a wealth of expertise and dedication to the Christopher Columbus Sembuya Foundation, driving its mission through:
Mr Edward Mubiru is a founder member of Christopher Sembuya Foundation, He is inspired to cause of the foundation as a first hand witness to the foundation and growth of the Sembule Investment Finance which was promoted to Sembule Commercial Bank Ltd. In 1985.
He worked with the late Christopher Sembuya both in the Sembule bank and Shelter Ltd. In the Sembule Group of Company. He has been part of the growth of these entities for example he was the pioneer manager of Sembule Commercial Bank – Jinja Branch.
He is a resourceful person for the archives of different recordings that show the historical developments of the banking institution founded by a Ugandan entrepreneur C Columbus Sembuya.
He is bringing into the foundation a chronology of growth of the bank. His knowledge will inform the present and the future generations that entities can be made right here.
In other areas he was involved through the World Bank funded Early Childhood Development project under the Ministry of Health, participated in the Advocacy and Training communities in the Thematic areas of child Nutrition, Growth promotion and Monitoring and Early Childhood Education.
He is a member of the Fathers Union of the Church of Uganda where he has served in various capacities.
He was a member of the Namirembe Diocesan Synod/Council for 8 years sitting on the Finance Committee and as well sitting on the Namirembe Cathedral governing committee known as the CHARPTER. He worked with the late Archbishop Mpalanyi Nkoyoyo as a Team Leader in the development of the Anglican Martyrs’ Shrine Museum – Namugongo.
Mr Mubiru brings in the foundation archaeological records and historical ideas as terms of reference to facilitate new developments in banking and finance.
As a pioneer banker, he exhibits a monumental exposure that clearly explains the formation, growth and challenges of banking institutions.
Namugenyi Lilian Caroline Wamala is a mother, wife, entrepreneur, academician and social justice activist. It depends on what identity supersedes the other at particular moments of her introduction. She is doing her Doctorate at Makerere university, Makerere institute of Social Research (MISR). She is in her final year of study. Her research interests resolve around the relationship between religion and politics. Namugenyi had her master in Philosophy from the same university where she majored in cultural studies and minored in political studies. Her first degree, also a first-class honour’s degree was in Education where she qualifies to be a teacher of English Language and Literature. Her education background has made her qualify for board positions. She has ever served as the MISR representative to the academic board of Makerere university and apparently, she serves on the Kitante Hill School Board of Governors, the Christopher Columbus Sembuya Foundation Board and Equiland Board.
Beyond her academics, Namugenyi is a social entrepreneur. She is the Council Director Scholars Debate Academy. It is a debate academy that trains, mentors, adjudicates and conducts debate leagues in both primary and secondary schools.
She is also the award winner for the Program on African Social Research project of 2024 and apparently the award winner of the African Studies Association of North America.
Her aspiration is to keep championing Social Justice through all available spaces starting with academia, the social and political spaces as well as the economic spaces. Her strongest conviction is that African (Ugandans) must look inward at them selves for correcting the historical mishaps that came during colonialism. Such mishaps linger today and are largely responsible for the social, economic and political evils we experience as a continent.
Ms. Nancy Okecha