The Long Form Podcast

Paradis Nishimwe Imfura | Building a Multi-Billion Franc Manufacturing Business in Rwanda 13.07.2026 1h 59min

How do you build a multi-billion-franc company starting with just 300,000 Rwandan francs? In this episode of The Long Form Podcast, entrepreneur and Wood Habitat founder Paradis Nishimwe Imfura shares the complete story of building one of Rwanda's leading furniture and interior design companies. We discuss entrepreneurship, manufacturing, leadership, scaling a business, raising standards in African design, competing against imports, creating jobs, and the financial lessons every f...

Tharcisse Karugarama | The Origins of RANU, the RPF & Rwanda’s Refugee Struggle 06.07.2026 3h 3min

Before the RPF liberation struggle, before 1990, and before Rwanda’s transformation, there was RANU (Rwandese Alliance for National Unity) — a small underground movement created by Rwandan refugees living in exile. In this episode of The Long Form Podcast, former Rwandan Minister of Justice and RANU founding member Tharcisse Karugarama tells the story of growing up as a refugee in Uganda, the struggles faced by stateless Rwandans, and how a group of young activists secretly organized a moveme...

Tayo Aina | Travel, Passports & Building a Global African Brand 29.06.2026 1h 29min

What does it really take to build a global career from Africa? In this episode of The Long Form Podcast, filmmaker, entrepreneur, and YouTube creator Tayo Aina reflects on a decade of traveling across Africa and the world, documenting cities, cultures, businesses, and untold stories. We discuss the hidden costs of creating world-class content, the challenges of traveling with a Nigerian passport, why he acquired a second citizenship, what Africa looks like when you've seen it up c...

David Ponte | Who Owns African Music in the Streaming Era? 22.06.2026 1h 43min

African music has never been more popular. Afrobeats, Amapiano, and other African sounds are reaching audiences across the world, generating billions of streams and reshaping global culture. But who is really benefiting? In this episode of The Long Form Podcast, Audiomack Co-Founder and CMO David Ponte discusses the rise of African music, the economics of streaming, why many artists still struggle to make money, what global platforms misunderstand about African audiences, and what it ta...

Angelo Izama | Uganda's Growing Pressure Cooker: Youth, Oil & the Future 15.06.2026 3h 2min

Uganda is often described as a country full of potential. But beneath the optimism, many Ugandans are navigating rising costs, economic pressure, uncertainty, and growing skepticism about the future. In this episode of The Long Form Podcast, journalist and analyst Angelo Izama discusses Uganda's changing mood, the rise of drug use as a coping mechanism, the country's oil strategy, AFCON 2027, youth frustration, and what the next major economic shock could mean for the region. We a...

Dr. Lawrence Muganga | Banyarwanda Identity, Belonging & Education in Uganda 08.06.2026 3h 15min

In this episode of The Long Form Podcast, Dr. Lawrence Muganga discusses identity, belonging, education, and the future of Uganda. From his childhood selling rabbits to becoming Vice Chancellor of Victoria University and later being nominated as State Minister for Internal Affairs, Dr. Muganga reflects on his journey, the debate surrounding Uganda's Kinyarwanda-speaking communities, his arrest on allegations of espionage, and the politics of recognition and citizenship. We also ex...

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 ...