The Long Form Podcast

Episodet

• Ethnicity, Media & the Search for an East African Identity | Marcus Kwikiriza 01.06.2026 2h 1min

  What does it actually mean to be East African? In this episode of The Long Form Podcast, Marcus Kwikiriza reflects on living and working across Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda, and why the dream of an integrated East Africa remains more complicated than many people assume. Drawing on his experience during Kenya's 2007–08 post-election violence, Marcus discusses ethnicity, identity, labour mobility, xenophobia, the decline of mass media, and whether a genuine East African citizen is emerging. We als...
• Fred Rwigema, the RPF, the NRM & East Africa’s Revolutionary Generation | Maj. Okwir Rabwoni 25.05.2026 2h 35min

  In this episode of The Long Form Podcast, Okwir Rabwoni reflects on a life shaped by revolution, ideology, and war across East Africa. After leaving school at 17 to join the National Resistance Army, Rabwoni trained in Libya and Cuba before later joining the Rwandan Patriotic Front during the liberation war in Rwanda at the request of Major Gen. Fred Rwigema. He would later fight in Congo and work alongside Laurent-Désiré Kabila during one of the region’s most transformative periods. Th...
• Uganda, Rwanda, Congo & the Crisis of Global Power | Dr. Adonia Ayebare 18.05.2026 2h 5min

  In this episode of The Long Form Podcast, Dr. Adonia Ayebare discusses the hidden diplomacy behind the Uganda–Rwanda fallout, regional security in eastern Congo, and the future of Africa in an increasingly unstable global order. As Uganda’s Ambassador to the United Nations and a longtime advisor to Yoweri Museveni, Dr. Ayebare offers a rare behind-the-scenes perspective on how power actually works in East Africa and at the UN. The conversation explores the role of Muhoozi Kainerugaba in...
• How Isabelle Kamariza Changed Hospital Nutrition in Rwanda | Solid’Africa 11.05.2026 2h 14min

  In this episode of The Long Form Podcast, Isabelle Kamariza shares the story behind Solid'Africa and the hidden crisis she discovered in Rwanda’s public hospitals: vulnerable patients going without food. What began in 2010 as a small effort to feed a few patients has grown into one of Rwanda’s most impactful social enterprises, now serving thousands of medically tailored meals every day across multiple hospitals and schools. The conversation explores poverty, dignity, healthcare, and wh...
• Before the War: Kagame, Rwigema & Rwanda’s Untold Stories | Capt. Mike Mukula 04.05.2026 2h 7min

  In this episode of The Long Form Podcast, Ugandan veteran politician and NRM stalwart Captain Mike Mukula shares a rare insider perspective on the events that shaped modern Rwanda and East Africa. From his early interactions with Paul Kagame and Fred Rwigema before 1990, to witnessing the aftermath of the Rwandan Civil War and 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Captain Mukula offers a firsthand account of pivotal moments in African history. The conversation explores the lived reality of R...
• The Cost of Telling the Truth: Journalism, Pressure & Power in Uganda | Canary Mugume 27.04.2026 1h 41min

  In this episode of The Long Form Podcast, investigative journalist Canary Mugume of NBS Television opens up about the reality of journalism in Uganda and Africa today. From reporting on powerful political figures to navigating public scrutiny, Mugume shares what it really means to pursue truth in an environment shaped by pressure, risk, and perception. We explore the challenges of speaking truth to power, the personal cost of public life, and the hidden emotional and psychological...
• Trying to Enter Politics in Rwanda: Reality vs Expectation | Jessy Mugisha 20.04.2026 1h 31min

  This episode of The Long Form Podcast explores what it really takes to enter politics in Rwanda. Jessy Mugisha, a young independent parliamentary aspirant and businessman, shares his experience attempting to run in the 2024 elections and what he discovered about access, participation, and opportunity in the political system. We discuss youth engagement in Rwandan politics, the barriers facing independent candidates, and whether the system is truly open to ordinary citizens. The conversa...
• Rwanda, DRC & M23: Understanding the Real Endgame Behind the Conflict | Gatete Ruhumuliza 13.04.2026 1h 43min

  The conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is often simplified into a story of aggressors and victims — but the reality is far more complex. In this episode of The Long Form Podcast, Gatete Nyiringabo Ruhumuliza breaks down the geopolitical, legal, and strategic forces shaping the Rwanda–DRC crisis, the role of M23, and why tensions between Rwanda and its neighbors continue to escalate. We explore the real endgame behind the conflict, the impact of US sanctions on Rwanda...
• Isaac Nkusi: Why You’re Still Broke — Income, Inflation and Financial Mistakes 06.04.2026 1h 47min

  Why are so many young professionals in Rwanda, Uganda, and across East Africa still struggling to build wealth — even when they earn, save, and follow traditional financial advice? In this episode of The Long Form Podcast, Isaac Nkusi, finance professional and host of The Money Blueprint Podcast, breaks down why the conventional path to financial success is failing for many people earning $300–$500 a month. We explore the realities of financial literacy, inflation, currency depreciation, savi...
• Soraya Hakuziyaremye, Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda: Inflation, Sanctions and Economic Growth 30.03.2026 59min

  Prices are rising, currencies are under pressure, and global events are beginning to affect everyday life in ways many people don’t fully understand. In this episode of The Long Form Podcast, Soraya Hakuziyaremye, Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda, explains what is really happening inside Rwanda’s economy — and how global shocks such as US sanctions, geopolitical tensions, and rising energy prices impact inflation, the Rwandan franc, and long-term economic growth. We discuss whether Rwa...
• Gaël Vande Weghe: The Hidden Decline of Rwanda’s Wildlife 23.03.2026 1h 41min

  Rwanda is often celebrated as a conservation success story, known for its national parks, gorillas, and protected ecosystems. But how much of the country’s natural world has already disappeared? In this episode of The Long Form Podcast, scientist, photographer, and conservationist Gaël Vande Weghe discusses his research on Rwanda’s biodiversity, including a comprehensive study documenting 229 mammal species. This conversation examines wildlife conservation, biodiversity loss, African en...
• Patrick 'Salvador' Idringi: Comedy, Politics, and Meeting Museveni 16.03.2026 1h 36min

  Why do people sometimes trust comedians more than politicians? In this episode of The Long Form, Ugandan comedian Patrick “Salvador” Idringi joins us in Kigali for a wide-ranging conversation about comedy, politics, social media, and public criticism in East Africa. Salvador reflects on the pressures of making audiences laugh while navigating political debates, online controversy, and the expectations placed on public figures. This conversation explores the intersection of comedy,...
• Michael Fairbanks, CEO of Akagera Medicines: Rwanda’s $75M Gamble to Build a $2B Pharma Company 09.03.2026 1h 1min

  For decades, Africa has depended on imported medicines for diseases that disproportionately affect its people. But what happens when a country decides to manufacture its own? In this episode of The Long Form Podcast, economic strategist Michael Fairbanks explains the ambitious vision behind Akagera Medicines, a Rwanda-linked biotech company developing treatments for drug-resistant tuberculosis. Backed by Rwanda’s national pension fund, this project raises difficult questions about...
• Rewiring the Brain? Ketamine, Psychedelics & Mental Health with Dr. Lisa Ndejuru 02.03.2026 1h 28min

  Can drugs like ketamine, LSD, and marijuana really “rewire” the brain? In this episode of The Long Form Podcast, Dr. Lisa Ndejuru, clinician at the King Faisal Hospital Ketamine Treatment & Research Centre in Kigali, breaks down the science and controversy surrounding psychedelic-assisted therapy, mental health treatment in Africa, and the global rise of ketamine clinics. We discuss Elon Musk’s public use of ketamine, Silicon Valley’s investment in psychedelics, African traditional plant ...
• Heroin, Recovery, Uganda & Rwanda’s Addiction Crisis — Steve Khald Maridadi on Drugs, Trauma & System Failure 23.02.2026 2h 40min

  What does heroin actually do to a human being — and why are so many young Africans falling into addiction? In this raw and unfiltered conversation, Steve Khald Maridadi a Rwandan filmmaker, opens up about heroin addiction, cocaine, laced marijuana, recovery, psych wards, and the system that failed him. We explore how drug addiction works biologically and psychologically, why jailing addicts may be the wrong solution, and how stigma pushes addiction underground. Sponsors: Threat Informat - h...
• Sonia Mugabo: Creativity, Overcoming Trauma, & The Cost of Building a Fashion Brand in Rwanda 16.02.2026 1h 51min

  This week on The Long Form, Sonia Mugabo — founder of one of Rwanda’s most recognizable fashion houses — opens up about the trauma, ambition, and emotional cost behind success. Sonia reflects on grief, resilience, entrepreneurship in Africa, motherhood, identity, and the psychological weight of being perceived as “strong.” This conversation explores trauma in Rwanda, African entrepreneurship, creativity under pressure, women in business, post-conflict identity, and the unseen emotional realit...
• Cybersecurity Insider: Everything You Know About Online Security Is Wrong 09.02.2026 2h 18min

  In this episode of The Long Form Podcast, we sit down with Joel Kashaija, a cybersecurity insider and ethical hacker working at the frontlines of digital risk in Africa to unpack why most people, businesses, and even governments misunderstand online security. From smartphones and public Wi-Fi to VPNs, SIM cards, the dark web, and corporate cyber-espionage, this conversation cuts through myths to explain how cyber threats really work — and why Africa’s future depends on getting digital securit...
• Davido on Africa, Fame, and Why the World Only Sees Afrobeats 02.02.2026 32min

  Davido gets real in this episode! From being young and wild to leaving the club scene, he talks about President Kagame picking him up from the airport, why he’s building a holiday home in Rwanda, and how his music makes Africa come alive. He also speaks on the West’s obsession with Afrobeats and why the world still doesn’t see African music beyond it. Sponsors: Threat Informat - https://threatinformant.io/ Join our Patreon to enjoy ad-free viewing https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheLongForm...
• The Hidden Cost of Charcoal in Africa — with Claudia Muench 29.12.2025 1h 38min

  Charcoal is a normal part of daily life across Africa, yet its true cost is rarely examined. In this episode of The Long Form, Claudia Muench, CEO of Biomassters, reflects on health, climate, and power — and what it would take for Africa to move beyond charcoal. Join our Patreon to enjoy ad-free viewing https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheLongFormPod or support us via our MTN Mobile Money Code 95462 or directly to our phone number: +250795462739 Visit Sanny Ntayombya's Official Website: https://san...
• Joshua Baraka on Fame, Money & Longevity in African Music 22.12.2025 1h 24min

  Joshua Baraka on blowing up young, surviving fame, and building longevity in African music. In this episode of The Long Form, Uganda’s rising star opens up about money, pressure, purpose, and protecting his art. We explore Uganda’s music ecosystem, the financial realities behind streaming success, and how artists can turn creativity into sustainable, generational wealth. Joshua also reflects on identity, relationships, and staying grounded in a world that constantly demands more — while...