Over 140 of Uganda’s leading employers convened at Golden Tulip Hotel on Thursday for BrighterMonday Uganda’s Executive Roundtable on Strategic Workforce Shaping, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, the Federation of Uganda Employers (FUE), and the Human Resource Managers’ Association of Uganda (HRMAU).
The gathering marked a bold step toward future-proofing Uganda’s workforce and harnessing the country’s youthful demographic dividend.
The high-level event brought together CEOs, CHROs, and senior HR leaders to tackle pressing challenges including talent scarcity, technological disruption, and the need for organizational agility in a rapidly evolving business landscape.
In her opening remarks, Xenia Wachira, Country Manager BrighterMonday Uganda, emphasized the urgency of moving beyond traditional hiring practices toward long-term workforce planning.
“Today we are thinking about the next five, ten, even fifteen years—how the workplace will look and what we need to do now to shape it,” Wachira said.
“This discussion is about giving young people opportunities to grow, be mentored, and develop into the leaders of tomorrow. Uganda has a very young workforce, with over 70% under the age of 30. If we don’t shape them strategically, we risk losing the potential of this generation.”
Echoing this sentiment, Evelyn Zalwango, General Manager at the American Chamber of Commerce Uganda, highlighted the need to bridge the gap between young job seekers and market readiness.
“We have many people looking for jobs, but they are not yet prepared for the market. This forum helps us explore ways to groom young talent to be truly job-ready,” Zalwango said.
The Roundtable featured a dynamic agenda with strategic insights from industry leaders. Hilda Kabushenga, CEO of The African Talent Company, set the tone by outlining the strategic context for workforce planning, followed by perspectives from Grace Nabakoza, Head of Employment Relations & Legal at FUE, who emphasized the importance of future-proofing talent pipelines for business sustainability.
The Keynote Address delivered by Simon Harvey, Managing Director of Hariss International LTD, focused on “The Future of Work: Youth, Skills, and Leadership Continuity,” underscoring the critical role of youth hiring in building long-term leadership pipelines.
A high-profile executive panel moderated by Natasha Katondwaki discussed how early career recruitment can serve as a foundation for leadership succession, knowledge transfer, and long-term business strategy.
Panelists included Joanita Mukasa Menya (MD, VIVO Energy), Henry Tumusiime (Human Capital Director, ABSA Bank), and Susan Mataka (Head of HR, Kakira Sugar Limited). They shared strategies on identifying skill adjacencies, building agile internal talent marketplaces, and fostering leadership development from within organizations.
Pamela Kabahesi, Country Programmes Lead for the Gen-Kazi Project, highlighted the national importance of the discussion.
“Uganda is top two globally in having the youngest population. This could either be our greatest economic advantage or a challenge if we don’t shape the workforce strategically. The discussions today are about ensuring we choose productivity over destruction,” she said.
The Roundtable concluded with the establishment of a forward-looking roadmap emphasizing cross-functional collaboration between HR, Finance, and Operations departments.
Participants agreed that strategic workforce shaping is not just an HR initiative, but a core business mandate essential for sustainable growth and resilience.
BrighterMonday Uganda, FUE, and HRMAU plan to use insights from the Roundtable to develop white papers, industry benchmarks, and executive toolkits aimed at equipping organizations to lead through transformation.
The initiative underscores a collective commitment to ensure Uganda’s youth are prepared to drive the nation’s economic future.