The Team

Our Team

Our team brings together decades of experience in business and development research in different organisations – local and international.

Our team has conducted research in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Gambia and Ethiopia among others.

Timothy
Rubashembusya

Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer

Timothy has over fifteen years’ experience in research, monitoring and evaluation roles in over ten African countries working with research organisations and large  

non-governmental organisations. Timothy has led the set up and management of research teams for projects of varied disciplines including health, gender, education, humanitarian emergency and livelihoods. He has a Bachelor’s in Statistics from Makerere University and a Master’s in Management and Information Systems: Change and Development from University of Manchester. Timothy is passionate about growing the practice of evidence based decision making on the African continent.  

Emmanuel Nshakira
Rukundo, PhD

Co-founder and Head of Research

Emmanuel is a Health and Development Economist whose broad research focuses on health, agriculture and social protection. He has worked or conducted research in Uganda, Kenya, 

Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Namibia. His current research focuses on health insurance programs in Uganda and Rwanda, cash transfers, COVID-19 in Africa and the role of behavioural determinants of social development such as the role of aspirations. He has published in leading health and development journals and his work has been featured in The Economist. Emmanuel has a Bachelor in Development Economics (Makerere University), Master of International Development (IDS Sussex University) and PhD in Development Economics (University of Bonn).

Emmanuel is also a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Food and Resource Economics at the University of Bonn.

Bisrat Haile
Gebrekidan, PhD

Senior Research Associate

Bisrat is a Data Scientist and an Agricultural Economist. He researches on land use modelling and agricultural intensification, environmental shocks and more recently, on COVID-19 in Africa. 

He uses econometrics, agent-based modelling and machine learning algorithms to find solutions to various research questions. He has a Bachelor of Economics (Arba Minch University), Master of Development Management (Ruhr Bochum), Master of Development Economics (University of Western Cape), Master of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Economics (University of Bonn) and a PhD in Agricultural Economics (University of Bonn).

Bisrat is also a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Food and Resource Economics at the University of Bonn

Berna Mugagga

Finance and Administration Officer

 Berna Mugagga has more than six years’ experience in accounting, audit, tax and assurance services. She has experience in small businesses, start-ups, global brands and the public sector such as

Banking, Insurance , Manufacturing, local government, Not for profit organisations and other service entities.

Berna has a Bachelor of Business Administration (hons) from Bugema University and is a level III CPA of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda.

Sam Njunwamukama

Research Associate

Sam has more than ten years of experience in various field research roles including as a field manager, team coordinator and enumerator. His areas of interests span both qualitative and 

quantitative field research execution. Sam has a Bachelor of Science (hons) degree in Information Technology from Makerere University and is a Masters Candidate for the Masters in Public Health (Monitoring and Evaluation) also from Makerere University.

Enock Ssesanga

Research Associate

Enock is a Quantitative Economist with more than four years of across field facing research and programme management. He has worked on research projects across areas including

education, community development , financial services and climate change. He is passionate about using data driven insights to achieve positive social impact .

Enock holds a Bachelor of Science (hons) degree in Quantitative Economics from Makerere University.

 

Cynthia Kuzira

Research Associate

Cynthia is a Statistician and Economist with more than five years of cross cutting research experience.  She has supported in  a diverse range of projects  across fields including agriculture, livelihoods, real estate and

 entrepreneurship. Her areas of interest include analytics and visualisation and their interface with development economics. 

Cynthia holds a Bachelor of Science (hons) degree in Economics and Statistics from Kyambogo University  and a Postgraduate Diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation from the Uganda Management Institute

Sheena Arayo

Junior Research Associate

Sheena joined Apata Insights as a Management trainee and has over time supported research activities across different  areas including livelihoods, entrepreneurship, agribusiness, among others. 

Sheena holds a  Bachelors  degree in Information Systems  and Technology majoring in Information Security from Makerere University.