When you meet Nulu Naluyombya, you are struck by how calm and grounded she is. The firstborn of three siblings, Naluyombya lost her mother at a young age and struggled financially throughout school. Her university years were not only about lectures but also about survival. Yet even then, she was drawn to platforms of influence and impact.
Her leadership journey began when she ran for Guild President at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) in 2008. Then a second-year student of Procurement and Supply Chain Management, with limited resources and no campaign team, she boldly entered the race against seven male contenders. That moment, she says, changed her life.

“I did not know I was igniting a fire that would blaze beyond student politics. Even though I did not win, that experience flipped a switch in me. I stopped just going through life, I started thinking about purpose. I knew I wanted to make an impact,” she explains.

Mentorship
While at university, mentorship played a critical role in Naluyombya’s life. She volunteered with the Young Professional Managers Association under the guidance of Professor Waswa Balunywa, former Principal of MUBS. She studied the lives of change makers such as Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King Jr., planting seeds for her leadership path.
“Professor Balunywa used to say, ‘Do not be a number.’ He meant you should stand out, not just exist in the crowd,” she recalls.

After graduation, her first job was as an administrative assistant in the public relations office at MUBS. At one of the conferences she attended, a motivational speaker sparked something deeper.

“Whatever he was doing, helping people believe in themselves, I wanted that,” she recalls. “He said something that has stuck with me: ‘There are two types of people, those who have results and those who have excuses.’ I had to start being results-oriented.”

Naluyombya later left her job and embarked on a two-year mentorship journey, eventually launching her organisation, Success Chapter, to mentor teenage girls in leadership and confidence. A grant from the United States Embassy helped her take the initiative to schools.

“The grant helped develop the project. At the same time, I was contracted to handle various training sessions, including leadership and communication skills,” she shares.
Although passionate about leadership and training others, she realised that her path was not financially sustainable.
“I kept moving in and out of formal employment. I would apply for a job, get it, and work for a while. But I would quickly get bored because my true passion was motivating and inspiring people,” she shares.

Murky waters
In 2021, Naluyombya hit a low point. Her income from Success Chapter had dried up, and her life felt like it was falling apart.
“I had a well-paying job, but I was not passionate about it. I was in a toxic relationship, had just given birth, and was struggling with low self-esteem after gaining weight. On top of that, Covid-19 was still lingering. It was too much,” she recalls.

One day, passing by a mirror, she had a moment of reckoning.
“I looked at myself and heard a voice ask, ‘What happened?’ It made me pause. I had once been a promising young woman, a Mandela Washington Fellow. But I had lost myself.”
That moment sparked her decision to turn things around. Still, her relationship remained toxic.
“I tried to fix it, but it failed.”

The breaking point came when her partner sold their house without her knowledge.
“We were told we had two weeks to vacate. That is when I realised the documents I had signed earlier without reading were likely related to that,” she narrates.
Fortunately, she had started saving and was able to find a new place for herself and her daughter. She began actively marketing the books she had authored and taking on clients. The ordeal deepened her belief in the importance of financial literacy and independence.

Rebuilding herself
Naluyombya’s first step was losing the weight that had shattered her confidence. Gradually, she began to feel better about herself and regained her self-esteem.
“I also started learning about financial management. I had opportunities, but I was still broke. I wanted to be financially stable and see myself as a ‘Boss Babe’, a confident, successful woman,” she says.

With that vision in mind, she launched a TikTok account, Nulu Boss Babe, where she shared lessons on money and personal growth. As her life improved, so did her following.
More women began connecting with her story and sought guidance. This inspired her to launch the Boss Babe Money Course, which she continues to run.
“In the course, I teach what I have learnt, how mindset shapes our finances, how to manage money better, and why psychology matters when it comes to wealth,” she shares.
When the number of women in the course grew to 100, she proposed a bold idea.

“I suggested we save money and buy land together, then subdivide it so each member could get a land title,” she says. The idea took off. “We created a constitution, registered the initiative, and opened official savings channels.”

Managing community
The Nulu Boss Babe community has now grown to more than 300 women, a success Naluyombya attributes to open, respectful communication.
“Respect is non-negotiable. We can disagree, but we must do it kindly,” she says.

Her leadership style is rooted in empathy and leading by example.
“I do not get distracted by the money we are saving. I focus on the bigger vision, where we want to be a community in five or 10 years,” she says.
In March 2024, the group marked a major milestone: they distributed 140 land titles to 85 members.
Naluyombya also serves as President of the Rotary Club of Kampala Impala and believes that leadership is less about having all the answers and more about being willing to learn.

“When the group decided to buy land, I had not done it before. I asked questions and brought in experts,” she says. “You do not have to know everything; you just need the confidence to learn and grow.”

Her advice to women: “Do not see questions or challenges as attacks. Work on your confidence since that is how you grow as a leader.”

The future
Naluyombya is set to launch her fourth book, Boss Babe Money Book, soon. Her writing journey began in 2019, inspired by author Geoffrey Semaganda, who encouraged her to believe that everyone has something to teach the world.

“The greatest reward is the messages I receive almost daily from women saying my words or mentorship changed their lives,” she shares.
At the core of her leadership is a vision of women leading authentically, not conforming to societal expectations.
“When given the right support, women deliver even more than men sometimes. We are often too shy to blow our trumpets, but we are the ones quietly making things happen,” she asserts.

To manage her personal and professional life, she delegates as much as possible.

“I do not have to do everything. If someone else can wash the clothes, let them. That gives me space to focus on bigger things,” she says.

She dreams of workplaces with daycare centres and cultures that support new mothers.
“There should be fairness, support, and grace. Leadership should not mean sacrificing well-being. Giving birth should not mean falling behind, and ambition should not cost women their peace,” she emphasises.