Ms Aidah Nkwanzi, says her leadership journey has been shaped by a strong work ethic, integrity, and passion.

Ms Aidah Nkwanzi is the chief executive officer of Britam Life Insurance Uganda with over 15 years of experience in the insurance industry.
Ms Nkwanzi has steadily risen through the ranks and attributes her career success to unwavering commitment, resilience, and most importantly, her faith in God.
As the CEO, she is responsible for providing strategic direction on business performance, delivering shareholder value, managing relationships with key stakeholders, policy makers and clients, and rallying her team to achieve specific targets.

Growing up in a large family
Born and raised in Lwengo District, in western Uganda, Nkwanzi is the second child from her mother and the first daughter in a family of six. Her father Swaibu Kanyonyi, is a politician and her mother, Ms Alice Geera Kanyonyi, is a teacher. The two raised her in a large extended family of about 30 children.
“Coming from a large family teaches you how to navigate different situations. We were not all from the same mother, but we grew up together in the same setting, which helped us learn how to juggle life’s challenges,’’she shared.
Ms Nkwanzi attended Kinyasano Girls High School in Rukungiri for her Ordinary Level education. Here, she developed a strong foundation in Christian values and even took on leadership roles, including leading the school’s Scripture Union.
She later joined Kako Secondary School in Masaka, where she served as the chairperson of the Student Council. For her Advanced Level studies, she pursued history, economics, geography, and divinity.
In the early 2000s, Nkwanzi enrolled at Makerere University, where she pursued a bachelor’s degree in Education, specialising in Economics and Geography a field inspired by one of her teachers.
She also holds a diploma in Insurance from the Chartered Institute of Insurance in the UK.
Though she started off her career teaching, this was short-lived.
“I taught economics at Lowell Girls’ School in Nsangi for less than a year. I taught a certain concept in Economics and later gave a test to assess my students’ understanding. Their poor performance frustrated me, and I realised that teaching required more patience than I had. It takes courage to be a teacher,’’ she reflected.
“That’s when I decided to look for other opportunities,’’she shared.

Switching to insurance
In 2005, Ms Nkwanzi applied for a graduate trainee position at UAP Insurance and she successfully secured the role.
“The interviews were held in a large hall, and to my surprise, we were the ones asking each other questions. One person would stand in front, and we would direct questions at him or her. I believe that my background in teaching helped me succeed because I was already accustomed to standing in front of people,’’ she shared.
“I started as a graduate trainee and later became an underwriting assistant. After two years at UAP, I transitioned to Stanbic Bank in 2007 as a transaction risk officer, where I was responsible for clearing payments, checks, and salaries.
Eventually, I was entrusted with managing all ATMs in Kampala,’’she recounted.
Despite the financial benefits at Stanbic Bank, she soon realised that the job was high-risk and decided to return to the insurance sector when was recalled.
“I had two offers ; one from ICEA and another from UAP. I chose UAP and two years later, I joined Britam Insurance in 2010.’’

Initially she shared that she was hesitant about the offer.
“I was coming to head business development. I had not been exposed enough in the business development department for me to go and head that department in a new organisation in the market,” she said.
Later, she recognised the potential for growth and accepted it.
At Britam, Ms Nkwanzi started as a business development officer and kept rising. She was promoted to assistant manager of business development, then to marketing manager, and later to corporate business manager, before attaining her current role as CEO.
“Staying in one company for over 15 years may seem unusual to some, but to me, growth isn’t about changing jobs frequently. It’s about evolving within an organisation, contributing value, and embracing new challenges,’’ she explained.
Her leadership journey, she says, has been shaped by a strong work ethic, integrity, and passion.
“Above all, my success is grounded in my faith. God has been instrumental in my career, guiding my steps and instilling values that have shaped my leadership.’’

Pride in her achievements
One of Ms Nkwanzi’s most significant accomplishments has been playing a pivotal role in establishing Britam Insurance Uganda. “Knowing that I played a role in that success, even if it was behind the scenes, gives me great pride. In fact, I was employee number two at the organisation, which means I have been there since its inception.’’
Beyond being part of Britam’s foundational team, Ms Nkwanzi spearheaded a strategic initiative known as the “Sector Attack,” which aimed to secure a strong presence for Britam within the NGO sector.
“Through this initiative, I successfully led a project that resulted in Britam securing over 70 percent of the international NGO market in Uganda,”she shared.
In addition to this, she played a pivotal role in infrastructure projects within the company. As the leader of the Infrastructure Committee, she helped Britam secure and ensure some of Uganda’s most prestigious projects, including the Entebbe Express way, the Nile Bridge, and the ongoing airport expansion.
Ms Nkwanzi believes that true leadership is built on faith, empathy, and integrity.
“Leadership is not just about executing strategies, it is about inspiring and empowering people to execute that strategy effectively,’’ she shared.
Nkwanzi understands the place of mentorship and acknowledges being mentored by Prof William Bazeyo, alongside her bosses Allan Mafabi, Anthony Kibe, and Edward Nambafu.
At Britam, she has started mentoring young women, believing the initiative has the potential to shape the next generation of female leaders.

Common mistakes
One of the biggest pitfalls, she noted that leaders fall into, is the lack of trust in their teams.
“Many leaders struggle with trust, feeling the need to handle everything by themselves. Without trust, delegation becomes difficult, and leaders end up overwhelming themselves while stifling the growth of their employees.’’
However, she also pointed out that the biggest mistake leaders make is forgetting God after achieving success.
“Many leaders become so busy with their new responsibilities that they no longer make time for prayer or spiritual reflection. But if it is God who elevated you, and you begin to neglect Him. He will remind you that he still matters,’’ Ms Nkwanzi shared.

Overcoming challenges
Like any professional, Ms Nkwanzi has faced challenges, especially in meeting quarterly targets.
“The most stressful moments in my career were during quarter three when targets weren’t being met. But success is a collective effort, and I always rallied my team to align our goals, ensuring we worked towards the same objective. Even if we didn’t hit 100 percent, we were always close to 95 percent or 90 percent.’’
Ms Nkwanzi is deeply committed to her faith and observes the Sabbath religiously.
“I always look forward to my Sabbath. It is my intimate time with God, where I recharge spiritually and prepare for the coming week.’’
Despite the demands of her job, she has never worked on the Sabbath, ensuring her work performance speaks for itself so there is no conflict between her job and faith.
“I see myself leading the fastest-growing life insurance company in Uganda. Through innovation and a strong focus on customer-centric solutions, I believe we will become a market leader,” she strongly stated.

ON A LIGHTER NOTE…
When was the last time you felt very at peace?
On my Sabbath day.

What was a gift you received recently and were very grateful for?
A sweet bouquet from my dear friend and sister.

What is one vice you just cannot stand?
Fraternising and dishonesty.

What is something you miss doing that you used to do in the past?
Being me – not having to worry about what my people will say.