Andrew Mwenda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andrew Mwenda
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Mwenda in 2008
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| Born | 1972 (age 52–53) Fort Portal, Uganda
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| Nationality | Ugandan |
| Citizenship | Uganda |
| Education | Busoga College Mwiri (High School Diploma) Makerere University (Bachelor of Arts in Journalism) SOAS, University of London (Master of Arts in Development Studies) |
| Occupation | Journalist & community activist |
| Years active | since 1992 |
| Known for | Publications |
Andrew Mwenda (born 1972) is a well-known Ugandan journalist. He works in print, radio, and television. He is also the founder and owner of The Independent, a popular newsmagazine that covers current events. Before this, he was a political editor for The Daily Monitor newspaper and hosted a radio show called "Andrew Mwenda Live" in Kampala, Uganda's capital city.
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Who is Andrew Mwenda?
Andrew Mwenda was born in 1972 in Fort Portal, a town in the Western Region of Uganda. His father is Mzee Phillip Muhanga. Andrew also has a brother, Lieutenant General Kayanja Muhanga, who is a senior military officer in Uganda.
Andrew's Education Journey
After finishing primary school, Andrew went to Nyakasura School for his O-Level studies. Then, he attended Busoga College Mwiri in the Eastern Region of Uganda, where he earned his High School Diploma.
He later joined Makerere University, which is Uganda's oldest and largest public university. There, he studied journalism and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Andrew then received a special scholarship called the Chevening Scholarship. This allowed him to study at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. He earned a Master of Science degree in Development Studies.
Andrew also had the chance to visit and study at several other famous universities. He was a visiting fellow at Yale University in 2010. He also studied at Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford in 2009. From 2006 to 2007, he was a John Knight Fellow at Stanford University. He even taught as a visiting lecturer at the University of Florida, Gainesville, in 2005. In 2003, he was a visiting fellow at the Africa Study Centre of the University of Leiden in the Netherlands.
Recognitions and Achievements
Andrew Mwenda has received many important recognitions for his work. In 2008, the World Economic Forum chose him as a Young Global Leader. This award recognizes young people who are making a big difference in the world.
In 2010, Foreign Policy Magazine named him among the "100 Top Global Thinkers." This list includes people who have important ideas that shape global discussions. He was also named by Foreign Policy as one of the top 100 most influential people on Twitter in 2012 and 2013.
In 2011, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda asked Andrew to join his Presidential Advisory Council. This shows how much his advice is valued. Andrew also helped improve relationships between President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and President Kagame of Rwanda. He worked to help them communicate and maintain a friendly connection between their countries.
Helping Others: Tugende
In 2013, Andrew Mwenda co-founded a social enterprise called Tugende. He started this company with Michael Wilkerson and Matt Brown. Tugende's goal is to help young people own important assets, like motorcycles, that they can use to earn a living.
Tugende has grown very fast. It has helped over 25,000 customers become owners of assets. Another 30,000 people are in the process of getting ownership through small loans from the company.
Andrew Mwenda's Career
Andrew Mwenda is the managing director of Independent Publications Limited. This company publishes The Independent newsmagazine. He is known for being an activist, a journalist, a columnist, and a social entrepreneur.
He is also a strong voice in discussions about foreign aid to Africa. He believes that investment and trade are better ways for African countries to grow. Andrew is a TED speaker and often speaks at conferences around the world.
Journalism and Consulting Work
Before starting The Independent in 2007, Andrew Mwenda was the political editor for the Daily Monitor newspaper. He also managed its radio station, KFM.
He has worked as a consultant for important organizations like the World Bank, the World Resources Institute, and Transparency International. Andrew has also written for major international news outlets. These include Der Spiegel, the International Herald Tribune, The New York Times, and Foreign Policy. He has also produced documentaries for BBC World television and radio.
Andrew has written many articles for academic journals. Some of these include Africa Affairs and the Journal of Modern African Studies. He has also contributed chapters to several books.
Community Involvement
Andrew Mwenda is very active in his community and beyond. In 2006, he spoke to the British House of Commons committee on Global Poverty. He shared his views on how foreign aid affects Africa.
He has written a lot about how aid impacts development in Africa. He believes that Western aid has not always helped Africa grow. He argues that it can sometimes lead to countries depending too much on outside help. He also thinks it can sometimes support corruption. Andrew believes that aid should go to countries that are making real changes and reforms. In 2007, he gave a famous speech about these ideas at the TED conference in Arusha, Tanzania.
In 2014, Andrew Mwenda was one of the people who asked for the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014 to be cancelled.
In 2019, Andrew Mwenda started a group called the Uganda National Peoples' Democratic Revolutionary Front (UNPDRF). He announced its goals on social media. He said the group aims to challenge certain political issues in Uganda.
Awards
In 2008, Andrew Mwenda won the CPJ International Press Freedom Awards. This award is given by the Committee to Protect Journalists. He received it for his strong dedication to a free press in Uganda and around the world.
Journal contributions
- 2007: Investieren Geht uber Schmieren, Entwicklungspolitik, December 2007, Nr. 12 62 Jahr.
- 2007: Personalizing power in Uganda, Journal for Democracy, July 2007, Volume 18, Number 3
- 2006: "Sustaining Growth and Achieving Deep Reductions in Poverty: How Uganda Recovered from Conflict"; in Attacking Africa's Poverty: Experience from the Ground Edited by Louise Fox and Bob Liebenthal, World Bank, Washington DC.
- 2006: Foreign aid the Weakening of Democratic Accountability in Uganda (a policy briefing paper for the Cato Institute, a think tank in Washington DC.
- 2006: With Roger Tangri: 'Politics, Donors, and the Ineffectiveness of Anti-Corruption Institutions in Uganda', Journal of Modern African Studies, 44, 1 (2006)
- 2005: With Roger Tangri: 'Patronage Politics, Donor Reforms, and Regime Consolidation in Uganda', African Affairs, 104, 416 (2005), 449–67.
- 2003: With Roger Tangri: "Military Corruption and Ugandan Politics since the late 1990s." in the Review of African Political Economy No. 98, 2003.
- 2001: With Prof. Roger Tangri, Corruption and Cronyism in Uganda's Privatisation in the 1990s, Africa Affairs 100–398 (2001) 87–103
