On September 23, 2022, e-commerce firms in Uganda commissioned their umbrella, E-Trade and Startup Association of Uganda, in a bid to help them unlock the potential of e-commerce with one voice.
The association which was launched by Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, the Minister of ICT and National Guidance at an event held at Fairway Hotel in Kampala, was founded by four leaders of SafeBoda, Jumia, Tugende and KTA.
The four founding members would later invite other start-ups to strengthen the voice of all those harnessing the power of financial technology (FinTech) to create one strong voice in expanding and sharing the immense potential and opportunity in the e-commerce space.
Below is a brief profile of the founding members who are also the leaders of the association
Ron Kawamara
Ron is currently the CEO of Jumia Uganda and Chairman of the E-Trade and Startup Association of Uganda.
He joined Jumia in 2014 as Country Manager for Jumia Food in Uganda. Since then, Ron has taken up more responsibilities in Jumia, including managing Jumia Food operations across East Africa until 2018 when he took on the role of CEO Jumia Uganda.
Prior to Jumia, Ron worked for People Connect, a startup in the San Francisco Bay Area (USA) as a Business Development Manager.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Development Studies from Oxford University (UK) and Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and International Relations from the University of California, Berkeley (USA).
Kenneth Muhangi
Muhangi is the partner KTA who has specialized in intellectual property law, technology law (with a bias towards digital trade and fintech, data protection and privacy law, the fourth industrial revolution-drones, internet of things, artificial intelligence, big data, genetics) and telecommunications law.
In the area of intellectual property (IP) & technology, he is a renowned award-winning Advocate, author and trainer and this has cemented his credentials as a specialist in the aforementioned practice areas. He has conducted specialized training in areas of ICT and IP such as blockchain technology, digital banking, digital trade & data protection among others.
Muhangi has advised governments & international entities such as Zipline, The World Bank, World Economic Forum, Ministry of ICT, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation among others. He is also the head of subject, intellectual property at Uganda Christian University and has also conducted lectures on Cyber Law at Makerere University, Law School.
Ugandan enterprises urged to explore regional oil and gas opportunitiesHe has chaired the ICT Cluster of the Uganda Law Society & is a member of the Intellectual Property Cluster, Uganda Law Society, but also a member of The Africa List, an exclusive community of next-generation CEOs building Africa’s top 100 companies, supported by the CDC Group.
Muhangi also represents Uganda at the 4IR Portfolio Communities of the Center for Fourth Industrial Revolution of the World Economic Forum. The 4IR Portfolio Communities include AI, Blockchain, IoT, Digital Trade, Data Policy and Drones. Kenneth represents and advises Uganda on policy related issues arising from new/emerging technologies.
He holds a master’s degree, LLM (International Commercial Law) from The University of South Wales, Bachelor’s Degree in Law LLB (Hons) from Uganda Christian University and a Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Center.
Michael Wilkerson
He is the Founder & CEO – Tugende – an e-firm tackling the credit gap for small businesses in Africa by enabling informal entrepreneurs to own income‑generating assets, build a verifiable digital credit profile, but also earn future growth opportunities through the Tugende digital platform.
Michael has lived full-time in Uganda for more than nine years. He began his career as a Journalist and first fell in love with Uganda and motorcycle taxis during his internships at Uganda’s Daily Monitor newspaper and Independent magazine
He holds a Master of Philosophy degree from Oxford University (UK), and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University (USA). He is a Fulbright and Marshall Scholar, an Echoing Green Global Fellow, and a proud Alumnus of the Unreasonable Institute and Global Social Benefit Incubator (GSBI).
Ricky Rapa Thomson
He is a natural-born entrepreneur, and the Co-Founder and Director of SafeBoda, a ride-hailing app offering customers both motorcycle taxi (boda bodas) and car options.
He started working as a driver himself, and saw that on-demand motorcycle-taxis are the lifeblood of major cities like Kampala, but they are extremely unsafe and disorganised hence empowering boda boda drivers through training and educating them about road safety and regulations.
Currently, SafeBoda has grown out to be one of Uganda’s most used apps and growing from just a ride-hailing app into a super App that is also licensed by the bank of Uganda to operate financial services through its wallet option.
In cooperation with the business for eTrade and Startup development, a private-sector-led advisory council that encompasses large corporations and small businesses from within Uganda, E-Trade and Startup Association of Uganda fosters inclusive development by promoting the uptake of e-commerce amongst its members. Through joining the platform, organizations can connect with potential partners, learn about trends and best practices, access up-to-date e-commerce data, and be informed of upcoming e-commerce events, fundraising, among so many benefits.
