Brian Mushana Kwesiga | |
|---|---|
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| Other names | Brian M. Kwesiga, Brian Kwesiga, Mushana [1] |
| Alma mater | Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (MBA) [2] Southern Methodist University (MS, BS, BA) [3] [4] Dallas College (AS) [5] |
| Occupation | Engineer [1] |
| Known for | Civic leadership [1] |
| Awards | Distinguished Alumni Award, [5] |
| President & CEO, Ugandan North American Association (UNAA) | |
| In office 1 September 2013 –6 September 2015 | |
| Deputy | Monday Atigo |
| Preceded by | Francis Ssennoga |
| Succeeded by | Monday Atigo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1987 (age 38–39) |
| Website | www |
Brian Mushana Kwesiga (born 1987) is a Ugandan-born engineer and civic leader. He served as president and CEO of the Ugandan North American Association (UNAA) from 2013 to 2015 [7] and was appointed general manager of the Uganda men's national lacrosse team,in 2023. [8] He has also participated in policy leadership programs,including the Africa Policy Accelerator at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). [9]
Kwesiga was born in 1987 in Rujumbura County,Rukungiri District in Southwestern Uganda. [6] He moved to the United States at the age of 15 after completing his O-level education at Kibuli Secondary School in Kampala. [1] In the U.S.,he earned an Associate of Science degree from the Brookhaven campus of Dallas College in 2005;the college later honored him as a Distinguished Alumni Award recipient in 2020. [5]
He received dual bachelor's degrees:a B.S. in electrical engineering and a B.A. in international studies from Southern Methodist University (SMU) in 2009. [4] He later completed a Master of Science in systems engineering from SMU in 2018 [3] and a Master of Global Business Administration from Tufts University's Fletcher School in 2025. During the Tufts program,he was inducted into the Honos Civicus Society for civic leadership. [2]
Brian Kwesiga has over 15 years of experience in the aerospace and defense industry. According to a 2023 profile in CEO East Africa Magazine,he has worked at several major U.S. defense contractors,including Lockheed Martin,Northrop Grumman,and Raytheon Technologies. [1]
In September 2013,Kwesiga was elected president and CEO of the Ugandan North American Association (UNAA) at age 26,making him the youngest person to lead the organization. [10] His two-year term coincided with UNAA’s 25th anniversary and a push for greater diaspora engagement. During a 2014 visit in Dallas,Texas,he publicly lobbied President Yoweri Museveni to increase government support for the diaspora. Museveni subsequently committed to expanding Uganda’s annual financial support to UNAA fivefold. [11]
UNAA implemented financial and structural improvements under his leadership. [12] Kwesiga moved member payments from unofficial remittance channels to official banking systems and conducted the association's first independent financial audit. [13] He also spearheaded the establishment of several programs,including a scholarship program for aspiring young Ugandan American leaders,professional-interest networks,and a chapter development fund. [9]
Following his UNAA presidency,Kwesiga continued to support the rights of the Ugandan diaspora,including voting rights and political representation. In 2015,he urged overseas voting at Ugandan missions. He argued that the economic contributions of the diaspora justify their inclusion in the electoral process. [14] [15] Government officials later acknowledged plans to expand diaspora engagement,including the creation of a Diaspora Services Department. [16]
He has also written on dual citizenship reform and diaspora governance in national newspapers such as New Vision and Daily Monitor. [17] [18] In 2024,he was selected as a fellow in the Africa Policy Accelerator program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS),a Washington,D.C.-based policy think tank. [5] [9]
In May 2023,the Uganda Lacrosse Association appointed Kwesiga as general manager of the Uganda men's national lacrosse team,making him the first Ugandan to hold the role. [19] [20] He led fundraising and coordination efforts that enabled Uganda to participate in the 2023 World Lacrosse Championship in San Diego,making it the only African nation represented. [21] [22] [23]
Earlier in his community engagement,Kwesiga founded the Dallas Cranes Football Club in 2009,a Ugandan soccer team based in Texas,and was recognized by the DFW International Community Alliance for his leadership. [6]