About Me

Gerald Businge is an award winning Multimedia Journalist, communications specialist, researcher and innovator in Uganda. He is a Lecturer of Multimedia Journalism and Digital Communications at Makerere University’s Department of Journalism and Communication, and the Managing Director of Ultimate Multimedia Consult and Yaaka Digital Network.

As part of his work at UMC and as a private consultant and researcher, Businge has undertaken communication and project management work in new media, human rights, good governance, health, education, gender and youth empowerment. He was also the firmer National Coordinator of the Action for Transparency Project, a SIDA funded initiative that builds and promotes catalytic digital tools for fighting corruption and mismanagement of public funds in the education and health sector. Businge is also a certified trainer of DW Akademie, World Bank, Hague Academy, and Internews Europe. He is the chief developer and Managing Director of www.yaaka.cc an award winning digital learning platform (with web app, offline app and custom tablet computer).

Businge graduated with Bachelors Degree of Mass Communication from Makerere University in 2003, a Masters in Journalism at University of California, Berkeley (Multimedia Major) in 2010 and a Certificate from Radio Netherlands Training Centre. He has more than 19 years’ experience in newspaper journalism, radio journalism, digital journalism, social media organizational communications, information and knowledge management as well as a trainer in media, communication and appropriate technologies. He has worked in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, South Sudan, Malaysia and USA.

 Businge has worked and consulted for several media organizations and initiatives including USAID, UNICEF, Uganda Media Development Foundation, Internews Europe, International Alert, The Africa Reporting Project, Africomnet, Government of Uganda, Carnegie Corporation of New York (8 projects at Makerere University), Konrad Adeneur Stiftung, International Labour Organisation, Adam Smith International UK, Oxfam GB, among others in which he has demonstrated and grown specialized writing and editing skills, multimedia information packaging and production, website design, optimisation and social media communications, practical experience of video, audio and web software as well as drafting, layout and design of information and communication materials for print, broadcast, online and mobile platforms. 

Published work as a journalist/ academic

• Lead for all research at www.yaaka.cc/umc-research/
• Using New Media to fight Corruption, Uganda Media Review 2012 http://www.kas.de/wf/doc/kas_29507-1522-1-30.pdf page 13, Uganda Media Development Foundation/ Konrad Adeneur Stiftung
• Top Frontiers for new media competition, Uganda Media Review 2013 http://umdf.co.ug/Journal.pdf page 45, Uganda Media Development Foundation/Konrad Adeneur Stiftung
• Women who are difficult to burry- Women activists rally against bride price for violating women’s rights http://www.weinformers.net/2011/04/20/bride-price-key-cause-of-violence-against-women-in-africa/
• Women of Apac looking for a dog that can work- http://www.ugpulse.com/people/ugandan-women-of-apac-complaining-of-their-lazy-husbands/998/ug.aspx a cry by women to be rescued from bearing domestic responsibilities alone and the resultant violence
• http://www.campustimesug.com/to-vote-or-not-to-vote-will-the-2016-election-represent-the-will-of-all-ugandans/#login-form proposed, produced and edited multimedia story
• http://africareportingproject.org/2012/10/29/seeds-of-uncertainty-in-ugandan-media/
• http://bibleaves.library.illinois.edu/catalog/ACDC_C36647
• http://www.newmediaskool.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=852:will-the-traditional-media-survive-online-media&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Observance of Press Freedom and Right to Information in the age of New Media, GIZ Kampala, Parliamentary Advocacy Forum series, 2013.

The New Media Thinking, https://www.academia.edu/15626250/The_New_Media_Thinking Academia, 2015

How traditional media is embracing new media, Commonwealth Journalists Association, 2012 https://issuu.com/weinformers/docs/world_press_freedom_day_media_dialogue_2012

African Media Houses should think seriously of online and mobile, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, IRP series 2009, http://www.weinformers.com/2010/05/26/african-media-houses-online-mobile/

• Challenges and Opportunities of Reporting and Communicating Agriculture and Rural Development Issues in Uganda,  (Ultimate Media Consult/CTA, Brussels  2009)
• Enhancing Income growth between Small and Micro women entrepreneurs in Uganda through ICTs (Women of Uganda Network) August 2008.
• The Information sources, information needs and concerns of rural women in Health, good governance, education, gender and Livelihoods (Women of Uganda Network) April 2008.
• Understanding Communication needs of organizations, UMC, Kampala, 2006
• Market Vs Editorial concerns: the Media and its Social responsibility, UMC, Kampala 2007 (yet to be published)
• An analysis of the role of ICTs in helping farmers improve their agricultural performance: case study of Apac rural women farmers (CTI) 2007
• The role of ICTs in women’s economic empowerment: A review of CEEWA-Uganda’s ICTs project (Council for Economic Empowerment of Women of Africa-Uganda Chapter- 2005)
• Writing better Feature stories, UMC, Kampala, 2005
• Winning advertising, (UMC Research Division), Kampala, 2005
• Writing better Broadcast stories, UMC, Kampala, April 2004
• Factors affecting newspaper readership in Uganda, UMC, Kampala, 2005
• Successful Public Relations, (UMC Public Relations Division) Kampala, 2006
•  

As a technology developer entrepreneur

www.yaaka.cc

www.ugandaoil.co

www.weinformers.net

www.ultimatemultimediatraining.net

www.sekdrive.net 

www.campustimesug.com

www.turole.org 

Media Coverage of my work      (some)

http://www.voanews.com/content/uganda-app-lets-citizens-blow-whistle-on-local-corruption/1949403.html

http://www.opengovpartnership.org/blog/rowan-emslie/2014/10/09/interview-action-4-transparency-project-lead

http://www.thestar.com.my/Tech/Tech-News/2014/09/29/Whistleblower-phone-app-seeks-to-outsmart-corruption/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZc0hshebcU

https://www.yaaka.cc/product/yaaka-tablet-with-uganda-syllabus-apps/

http://www.campustimesug.com/yaaka-to-revolutionize-ugandas-education-through-web-and-mobile-learning/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhKtlzw1ges

http://www.africatopsuccess.com/en/2014/09/29/a4t-mobile-application-to-track-down-corruption-in-uganda/

http://rootio.org/post/78165123373/in-kampala

http://radioonefm90.com/yaaka-a-new-digital-learning-platform-launched/

http://www.ipinewsinnovation.org/news/crowdsourcing-ushers-in-a-new-era-of-african-journalism.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHwqRfoXYk4 CCTV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMlHUQX0p1o Enews Chanel Afrca

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCSPPvDJriM Take Part Live summary

http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/660206-whistle-blower-phone-app-seeks-to-outsmart-corruption.html

http://www.fr-online.de/digital/uganda-eine-app-gegen-die-korruption,1472406,33000330.html German newspaper