Footprints Podcast | Season 1 | Episode 9 | Acts of Benevolence

If we all knew that one act of benevolence could culminate in the molding of altruistic leaders, perhaps we would sow those seeds more often, changing the world for the better. In this episode of the Footprints Podcast, we journey into the life of Bruno Joseph Bwambale, a leader with a heart for his people. With the help of his son, Francis Musinguzi, he narrates his journey as a working man and how he triumphed despite difficult transitions along the way.
Mr. Bwambale came from a humble background. A young Mukonzo man who had to cultivate resilience and discipline after the loss of his father at only two years old. His mother, a cotton farmer, raised him keenly. He was baptized and became a devout Catholic. He excelled academically in primary school, but his mother could no longer afford the school fees when he advanced to Junior school. Mr. Bwambale resorted to selling fish that he got from Kayanza by bike to finance his education.
A man named Antonio Kibwana committed to paying his fees, a life-changing deed he would never forget. Unfortunately, insecurity due to the strife between the Batooro and the Bakonzo during the Rwenzururu Rebellion forced him and other Bakonzo boys to flee. He went to Saint Mary’s College Kisubi, where he completed high school, safe from the war raging in Western Uganda.
He later faced another unfortunate and irreversible change in his life: the loss of his mother. Her death brought him unimaginable grief, a low moment in his journey indeed. Time could only attempt to salve the pain as he advanced in his education with a Diploma in Cooperative Studies at the Uganda Cooperatives College. He worked as a manager in Nyakatonzi Cotton Growers for 12 years. He later served in the Uganda Corporate Central Union as a marketing manager, eventually being promoted to central manager. He started a cotton project, handing out seeds, hoes, and pesticides to farmers to facilitate agriculture so the people could develop skills to sustain themselves.
Notably, Mr. Bwambale ran for political office in the 1980s but was removed from his job by the Uganda People’s Congress government, which was allegedly Anglican-based, compared to himself, a member of the Democratic Party, which leaned towards Catholicism. Back then, politics were based on religion, and as such, he did not win the election.
However, this did not dissuade him from serving his people from other platforms. Mr. Bwambale had always been deeply involved in church work, serving on several committees. He requested that Kasese get a diocese of its own and was one of the founders of the first Christian schools in Kasese: Kasanga Technical School, aimed at training the next generation into self-reliant and innovative individuals; Saint Theresa Girls School; and Kasese Secondary School, promoting formal education especially for girls who had to travel long distances to their schools. Mr. Bwambale invested a considerable amount of his time, money, and materials in the construction of these schools. He also started the Saint Clare Women’s Group to empower unemployed women, giving them goats to breed and generate income for themselves.
He was recognized as the best farmer in his region during President Milton Obote’s regime and was sponsored by the government and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to extensively study farming at the University of Minnesota in 1984. Upon his return, he helped other farmers set up their own farms, doing demonstrations and donating the first calves to them.
Facing difficult transitions from a tender age, like migration due to war, loss of family members, and employment challenges due to religious discrimination, Mr. Bwambale’s journey highlights the importance of adaptability and resilience as leaders when facing hardship or transition. He emphasizes the significance of generosity, a seed that must be intentionally sowed, and selflessness to aid those in need. His life is a lesson that leadership is about using the opportunities given to us to support the well-being of the people we serve.
©Blurb written by Divine Karungi
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