Mr. Patrick Bitature, Patron

Mr. Patrick Bitature is a Ugandan businessman, entrepreneur, and author. He is the Founder, Chairman, and Group CEO of the Simba Group of Companies, a diversified enterprise with operations across East Africa and interests in telecommunications, hospitality, real estate, energy, and other investments. He also serves on the boards of a number of companies and foundations in Uganda.

Through his business leadership and philanthropy, he supports initiatives that promote education, entrepreneurship, and community development. He is widely recognized for building long-term enterprises that contribute to private-sector growth in Uganda and the region.

Dr. Nathan Kenya-Mugisha MBCHB, MMED, MPH, Board Chair

Dr Nathan Kenya-Mugisha is a senior consultant paediatrician, and is the Chair of the Board of Directors of YouBelong Uganda. He is currently the executive director of Walimu, a Ugandan and US registered NGO, established to improve the outcomes for severely ill patients at health facilities in low and middle income countries, through strengthening health systems so that a high standard of quality health care is achieved and is sustainable.

He has held senior positions, including the position of Director of Health Services (Clinical and Community Health Services), and Acting Director General, of the Ministry of Health, for the Government of Uganda. He has represented the Uganda Ministry of Health in work with UNICEF and the WHO.

Monsignor David Cappo, Co-Founder and Chief Executive

David Cappo is the co-founder and Chief Executive of YouBelong Uganda. He is an Australian citizen working in Uganda and throughout East Africa. A qualified social worker and a Catholic priest, he has many years of front line experience in family counselling, mental health care, juvenile justice rehabilitation programmes, caring for neglected children, and community development. In more recent years he has led a successful reform of the mental health system for the South Australian Government, as well as creating innovation in social policy in reducing homelessness, juvenile justice reforms, and re-engaging young people with complex needs, with innovative education programmes.

He has chaired the Social Inclusion Board and was the Commissioner for Social Inclusion for the South Australian Government. He has also served as the Vice Chair of the National Social Inclusion Board and as a member of the Federal Government’s Expert Panel on Mental Health. He holds the position of Senior Research Fellow, Flinders University, S. Australia. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Notre Dame University, Fremantle WA Campus.

Dr. Byamah Brian Mutamba, Co-Founder, and Technical Director

Dr. Mutamba has dual expertise in public health and mental health. He is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Deputy Director at Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital in Uganda, where he practices general adult psychiatry and serves as Clinical Head of the Alcohol and Drug Unit. His responsibilities include inpatient and outpatient care, teaching and supervising trainees, and supporting community mental health teams, with a substantial focus on individuals and families affected by alcohol and other substance use disorders.

He earned his MBChB from Mbarara University and an MMed (Psychiatry) from Makerere University (Uganda), and later completed an MPH at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a doctorate at the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam. He is Co-founder and Technical Director of YouBelong Uganda. His research focuses on developing and implementing evidence-based, culturally appropriate public mental health service models in low-resource settings. His work includes the piloting of the WHO mhGAP in Uganda; leading the stigma component of the Mental Health Beyond Facilities project in Uganda, Liberia, and Nepal; serving as Principal Investigator for Family-Based Group Interpersonal Therapy for Caregivers of Children with Nodding Syndrome; and currently leading the Wellcome Trust–funded Strengthening CAre in Collaboration with People with Lived Experience of Psychosis in Uganda (SCAPE-U) project.

Dr. Shevin Jacob

Dr. Shevin Jacob is an infectious diseases physician and Reader in Sepsis Research in the Department of Clinical Sciences at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), UK. He earned his Doctorate of Medicine (MD) at Oregon Health & Science University and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He completed internal medicine residency training at the University of Virginia and infectious diseases specialty training at the University of Washington, where he later held a faculty role in the Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases before joining LSTM in 2017. Based in Uganda since 2006, his research focuses on improving survival for patients with sepsis in resource-constrained government hospitals.

Dr Jacob is Co-Founder and Medical Director of Walimu, a Uganda-based non-governmental organisation that supports research (primarily sepsis and tuberculosis) and health system strengthening, including building health workforce capacity for viral haemorrhagic fevers and other infectious disease outbreaks. Since 2009, he has served as a consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO) through multiple working groups on the clinical management of sepsis and other severe illnesses in resource-constrained settings. During Ebola outbreaks in West Africa, he was deployed by WHO in roles including clinical management, training and mentoring health workers in Ebola Treatment Units, and advising Ministries of Health on case management strategies.

He also serves as Secretary General and Executive Committee Member of the African Sepsis Alliance, and as a Board and Executive Committee Member of the Global Sepsis Alliance. At LSTM, he currently chairs the Research Ethics Committee.

In 2018, Dr Jacob received the Leadership in Public Health Practice Harvard Alumni Award for his work in sepsis and viral haemorrhagic fevers.

Dr. David Basangwa

Dr. David Basangwa is a Senior Consultant Psychiatrist With over 40 years of experience in medical practice. He has has dedicated his career to improving the health and well-being of his patients. For the past 30 years, he has served as a specialist Psychiatrist, providing expert care in general mental health and supporting individuals facing a wide range of psychological and emotional challenges. His clinical work has been guided by a deep commitment to compassionate, patient-centered care and evidence-based practice. In addition to his clinical responsibilities, Dr. Basangwa has held key leadership roles within the healthcare system, including serving as the Executive Director of Butabika National referral mental  hospital  and team leader. He also served as Secretary and later President of the Uganda Psychiatric Association. In these positions, he has played an important role in strengthening health service delivery, mentoring multidisciplinary teams, and promoting effective, high-quality patient care.

Dr. Basangwa  has a strong interest in research and has conducted several studies aimed at advancing knowledge in mental health and improving clinical practice. His work reflects a dedication to continuous learning and the development of innovative approaches to mental health care. Complementing his national experience, Dr.Basangwa has gained valuable international exposure, collaborating with colleagues and institutions across borders. This global perspective has enriched his professional practice and strengthened his commitment to advancing mental health services in diverse settings. Dr. Basangwa took a break from  traditional civil service and currently making his humble contribution under the private sector.