Our Team – Rural Inclusion

Founders & Int'l. Team

Jack Farren

Co-Founder & CEO

Jack is an insurance professional based out of the UK. He has enjoyed experience in the European and Latin American markets, ranging from working with corporate intermediaries to an Insurtech start-up. Read more

Joseph Lukwago

Co-Founder and CTO

Joseph is an ICT and digital product engineering professional, who believes that Information and knowledge can do wonders to change the face of the people in rural, isolated, and underprivileged regions. Read more

Yvonne Oshevwe Okoro

Digital Communications

Yvonne is a communications professional with years of experience working for clients in the financial services industry. She is passionate about technology, financial inclusion and rural development.

She graduated from the University of Benin, Nigeria and is currently studying for a Master's in Communication in the United States of America.

Michael Power

Legal Research Intern

Michael is a law student at the University of Birmingham. He has previously completed legal placements in drafting legal documents such as wills, probates and contracts, and is looking to specialise in the finance sector of law in commercial and taxation law.

Michael is relishing the chance of widening his legal research skills on an international level with Rural Inclusion CIC.

Uganda

Nelson Kiwagi

Project Consultant

Nelson has experience in sales distribution, marketing, Financial Literacy, Financial Inclusion, payment solutions, Micro Insurance, Telecom and rural development.

He has worked with MTN Uganda, EzeeMoney, Bima Milvik Micro Insurance, MTN- aYo Micro Insurance, and Turaco Micro Insurance among others.

Nelson is a Graduate in Economics and Rural Economy from Makerere University Kampala.

Nelson is passionate about changing people's lives through innovative solutions that enhance inclusion in the rural communities of the emerging markets.

Noah Ssempijja

Inclusion Ambassador

With over 10 years of proven work experience in managing high impact projects, leading both technical and administrative elements of setting up and implementing projects, Noah has delivered quality results for top organizations, both national and international.

Noah possess expert skills in Partnership management, project planning, monitoring, reporting, resource management, coaching and mentorship, quality and risk management.

He has successfully delivered impactful projects across Uganda, Kenya, Cote d’Ivoire – with the most recent one directly working with refugees in Nakivale and Kiryandongo settlements.

Michael Wabugo

Inclusion Ambassador

Michael is a multi-skilled accomplished lawyer with diverse exceptional knowledge in intellectual property, insurance, finance, taxation, marketing, information technology and public policy.

He has worked in banking, telecom and insurance specifically in the sales and distribution role. He later changed his career and entered the legal profession. Currently, he has specialized in intellectual property, international trade and financial law.

He has a distinguished record of academic qualifications with a Masters in Law, Master in Research, Public Policy and a number of certificates in intellectual property. He is also pursuing Master of Philosophy in Intellectual Property.

Ivan Juuko

Inclusion Ambassador

Ivan is an experienced insurance professional, serving as Head of Underwriting at UAP Old Mutual Life, and is an advocate for rural development.

Benard Muyanda

Business Development Assistant

Benard is a sales professional with 5 years of work experience in the financial services industry and microinsurance, with solid experience working with startups.

Benard graduated with a Bachelor's Honors Degree of Arts in Economics from Kyambogo University in Kampala Uganda and is passionate about financial Inclusion and rural development.

Annitah Ahuumuza

Grants Officer

Annitah is a young professional who is a recent Development Economics graduate from Makerere University.

Annitah is driven by a passion for touching and improving the lives of the less privileged in society.

Richard Sseiktoleko

Phina Nalukwago

Evelyn Nantongo

Kenya

Luis Kinuthia

Inclusion Ambassador

Luis is a Nairobi-based actuary and social entrepreneur, who is passionate about building businesses that address the most pressing problems in our society today.

He is the Co-Founder & CEO of Emerging Markets Actuarial Consulting, an organisation using human-centred design and research to unlock insights in providing for the insurance deprived in Africa.

Luis once appeared on the Lions Den, which is a show created after Dragons Den (U.K.) and Shark Tank (USA).

Sarita Mohanty

Inclusion Ambassador

Based between India and Kenya, Sarita is an experienced insurance expert, working across the life insurance sector.

In recent years, Sarita has been involved in the Microinsurance space throughout East Africa.

Sarita is an Impact Insurance Fellow of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and is currently serving at BRITAM to design micro property insurance policies for SMEs in Kenya

Angela Kariuki

Inclusion Ambassador

Angela is a Private Sector Development professional, based in Nairobi, with a focus on sustainability, investment and trade for both small and growing businesses.

Angela currently works with International Trade Centre (ITC)'s GreenToCompete Hub helping SMEs go green, and with International Finance Corporation (IFC)'s Gender and Economic Inclusion Group to increase access to markets for women entrepreneurs.

Benson Njuguna

Inclusion Ambassador

Benson is a technology consultant and Ethereum Foundation fellow, on a mission to elevate humanity from an economic standpoint, through innovative ideas driven by technology.

He is currently working on multiple digitalization projects with ACRE Africa, a microinsurance service provider based in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia.

For years, he has been a technology consultant, working on notable projects for the Kenyan Government, software firms and large insurance providers in Africa.

Zambia

Osiya Mupatayi

Inclusion Ambassador

Osiya is the Bancassurance and Alternate Distribution Manager at Sanlam Life Insurance Zambia. She is Responsible for managing relationships for banks and alternative insurance distribution channels.

She has over 7 years experience in the financial services industry with a focus of developing and managing a wide array of insurance products.

Moses Sibongo

Inclusion Ambassador

Moses is a member of The Association of Digital Finance Practitioners (ADFP) in Zambia and he is in the final stage of being a Certified Digital Practitioner by Digital Frontiers Institute of South Africa.

He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Banking and Finance from the Copperbelt University, Zambia.

Moses has more than 8 years’ experience in Financial services of which he has worked in banking and non-banking sectors.

Tanzania

Raphael Michael Ami

Inclusion Ambassador

Raphael has 20 years of expertise managing development programmes and projects in Tanzania and Uganda as a community development practitioner.

He has managed multi sectoral projects such as microfinance, businesses startups, and rural digital initiatives.

In the recent past, Raphael has led European Union-funded projects and advised for UNESCO digital village project, Iles de Paix (IDS), and local charity organizations.

Mboka Mwanitu

Inclusion Ambassador

Mboka is an applied Economist with vast experience in Policy Analysis in the agribusiness, food & nutrition and rural finance sectors.

Mboka has held senior positions include being a founder and chair of ONA Foundation, Agricultural Council of Tanzania, Tanzania Milk Processors Association(TAMPA) and worked as go to expert in policy, food, nutrition and financial inclusion. She brings in competence in project design, operations, strategy, marketing, finance and investment.

Theobald Rwamugia

Inclusion Ambassador

Theobald is a multi-disciplinary professional with over 10 years of diverse experience in policy issues related in Mining, Oil & Gas, Agriculture, Transport, Infrastructure and Environment.

He also has experience of working in close collaboration and partnership with multinational organizations such as DfID, USAID, WB, UNDP, EU, AfDB and Local government authorities, Central government, Private sector, Research and Training Institutions.

Dr. Amina Abdul

Inclusion Ambassador

Dr Abdul is a Lecturer in the Department of Finance at the University of Dar es Salaam Business School (UDBS). She also represents UDBS in the UDASA-Executive Committee. Dr. Abdul also is a Board Director at DCB Commercial Bank Plc holding a position of chairperson of the Nomination and Human Resource Committee. She has a PhD in Business Administration focusing on Community Microfinance Groups and SMEs Development, which was a sandwich programme by the UDSM and Copenhagen Business School.

Rwanda

Aime Munyanganzo

Inclusion Ambassador

Aime Munyanganzo, CDFP is a financial services professional for 17 years and currently co-ordinates the deployment of IT shared services infrastructure for 10 non-government SACCOs, with the aim to accelerate financial inclusion in Rwanda.

Aime is also a member of the National Payments Committee of the National Bank of Rwanda, and is an expert in the field of financial literacy.

Francis Ndayiziga

Inclusion Ambassador

An accomplished professional in the development sector specialized in microfinance operations especially in eBanking. Over 17 years of hands-on experience as a microfinance banker and practitioner

Malawi

Esau Gideon Banda

Inclusion Ambassador

Esau is a Research and Economic Development Professional with over 5 years of experience leading and managing teams in Agricultural Development and Impact Evaluation projects within the Malawi NGO sector.

His notable work in the financial inclusion drive includes responsibility as a Consulting Field Coordinator with The World Bank’s Financial Inclusion and Entrepreneurship (FInES) Project; Research Field Manager for CEGA’s Digital Credit Observatory (DCO) study on the Effect of Digital Credit in Malawi; and as Principle Cash Distributor in Zoona’s Cash Wholesaling Experiment.

Abel Mwenibanda

Inclusion Ambassador

Abel is a banker and a passionate campaigner of financial literacy and inclusion with a Recognition Award from the National Financial Educators Council for his contributions.

He is the founder of the Centre for Financial Inclusion and Literacy Consultancy (CFIL Consultancy), and has undertaken assignments from World Bank and DreamStart Labs, along with currently managing the Widows' Savings and Loan Association (WISALA) Project

Steve Mgwadira

Inclusion Ambassador

Steve is a financial services specialist whose professional experience covers over 28 years in retail and microfinance banking and consultancy spaces.

In his financial services consultancy, he also offers advisory services to the Central Bank and government in initiatives in Digital Finance, women and youth financial capability, literacy and inclusion. Steve is a member of Financial Inclusion Technical Working Group, Malawi Microfinance Network (MAMN). He has project implementation experience as demonstrated during the time he took lead of a Reserve Bank of Malawi FSTAP project to establish and operationalize the MFI Transaction Hub that among other things saw the set-up of the MFI Hub Limited.

Joan Gausi

Inclusion Ambasodor

Joan is a holder of Masters in Business Administration (Finance) and a Bachelor of Accountancy degree.

With over 20 years in the financial sector, Joan has worked with a number of Banks as well as MFIs in managerial and executive positions.

She is currently working with FINCA Malawi as a Chief Operations Officer, and has a passion for working with the rural unbanked masses in ensuring that they are financially included.

Gift Mpoola

Inclusion Ambassador

Gift is a seasoned Financial Inclusion and Enterprise Development Specialist with 21 years’ experience, holding a Master of Business Administration Degree and a Bachelor of Social Sciences Degree.

He is the lead consultant at CV2 Consulting and Training and some of his key works include projects for Canadian Cooperative Association (CCA), Government of Malawi and FARMSE.

Andrew Banda

Inclusion Ambassador

Andrew is experienced into project management, research, curriculum development, content creation, facilitation, child protection and safeguarding and social behaviour change communication.

For the past 10 years, Andrew had worked and managed funded (UNICEF, Comic Relief, Medicor, GIZ, USAID and UNFPA) projects in Malawi.

Robert J Kapyepye

Inclusion Ambassador

Robert is a financial services executive with over twelve years experience in the Malawian Market, covering commercial banking and microfinance segments.

He has successfully led corporate, MSME, retail and project finance teams with commendable achievements, and is the recent founder and Chief Executive of Nagowa Finance Limited, a Microfinance Institution in Malawi.

Edward Maferano

Inclusion Ambassador

Edward comes from a global development background with working experience in inclusive digital transformation, financing for development, rural agriculture, climate change adaptation and natural resource management.

He currently works as an Innovation Project consultant at Heifer International and Digital Finance Specialist at Strategic Impact Advisors. He works with local and international organizations to build the capacity of rural smallholder farmers, migrants, youths and women to become technological savvy for the adoption of necessary digital innovations for inclusive meaningful growth.

EL-Salvador

David Henriquez

Inclusion Ambassador, El Salvador

Omar Romero

Inclusion Ambassador, El Salvador

Hernan Alvarado Carabante

Inclusion Ambassador, El Salvador

Erick Renauto Romero Acevedo

Inclusion Ambassador, El Salvador