The Man Who Chose His Name

In this episode of Footprints Podcast, Jacqueline Asiimwe sits down with Phillip Wafula Oguttu, a journalist, political leader, and one of Uganda’s enduring public voices.His story begins in Lumino, where hardship, land injustice, and the early loss of his father shaped his sense of fairness. He shares how he once dreamed of becoming a lawyer, how newspapers opened another route, and how journalism became his way of exposing wrongs and speaking to power.The conversation travels through his childhood, Bank of Uganda, his scholarship to China, his time in Tanzania, encounters with Idi Amin, the Moshi Conference, and his reflections on Uganda’s political journey. It is a conversation about language, courage, memory, public life, and the strange roads by which people become who they are.“You are forced to learn.” — Phillip Wafula OguttuThat line, spoken about learning Chinese in a place where no one spoke his language, also carries the spirit of his wider story. Life forced him to learn. History forced him to choose. Injustice forced him to develop a voice.Listen to the full episode and subscribe for more stories from Footprints Podcast, where we tell the stories and glean the wisdom of our elders._For more on CivLegacy Foundation's Change Initiative,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HERE⁠⁠:⁠⁠⁠#footprintspodcastseries