REAL PEOPLE. HONEST CONVERSATIONS.
Kyoto
Conversations
A meeting of generations. A space for real experiences, thoughtful questions and the choices that shape a life.
Why fireside?
A conversation, not a lecture.
The Kyoto Conversations began as an invitation to gather after the formal programme ends: a speaker, a circle of students, a fire, and enough time for the questions that matter. Guests are not brought in to deliver a polished keynote. They are asked to share what they have learned.
The archive brings together conversations on money, relationships, recovery, leadership and responsibility. Each documented evening is presented with its original flyer, date and speaker, with recordings available for selected conversations.
The circle is the point. Everyone arrives with something to learn.
Showing 6 conversations · newest first
The circle widensThree documented conversations on wealth and integrity, student leadership, and money and enterprise, including a conversation in partnership with Stanbic Bank Uganda.
Conversation 06 · Money & enterprise
Grow Your Dimes. Build Your Hustle.
Israel ArinaitweHead of Personal Banking, Stanbic Bank Uganda
Financial independence rarely happens by accident. It begins with the everyday choices young people make about earning, spending, saving and investing. In an ELP–Stanbic Bank Uganda conversation, Israel Arinaitwe discussed money, business and building a financially secure future.
The evening placed financial responsibility and entrepreneurship at the centre of the discussion, encouraging students to think beyond immediate income towards sustainable livelihoods and long-term independence. The event has passed and now belongs to the archive.
Conversation 05 · Leadership & influence
Student Leadership: How Student Leadership Prepares You for a Life of Influence
Hon. Robert Maseruka · H.E. Kadondi Gracious · Lawrence AlionziMP, Mukono South · Guild President, Makerere University · Mayor, Arua City. Moderated by Eric Tumwesigye.
For many young leaders, the journey towards public service and national influence begins on campus. Student leadership offers an early opportunity to make difficult decisions, represent others, navigate competing interests and discover what it means to lead with integrity.
Three young leaders reflected on that journey, connecting campus leadership to responsible citizenship, public service and lasting influence beyond university. Different paths, including parliament, guild leadership and local government, made the conversation unusually concrete.
Conversation 04 · Integrity at work
Building Wealth & Successful Careers with Integrity: Lessons from the Real World
Mr Silajji Baguma Kanyesigye (CPA)Managing Partner, RKA & Company
Can young people build successful careers and create wealth without compromising their values? In a world where the pressure to succeed can encourage shortcuts, Silajji Baguma Kanyesigye made the case that integrity remains one of the most valuable foundations for lasting success.
Drawing on real-world experience, the conversation connected professional excellence, ethical decision-making, financial success and personal character. The conversation reinforced a conviction at the heart of ELP: true success is measured not only by what we achieve but by the values we uphold along the way.
The conversation beginsThree documented conversations, from enterprise and recovery to relationships, plus four further gatherings recorded in the 2025 annual report and listed below.
Conversation 03 · Relationships
Why I Would Never Let You Date or Marry My Child
Prof John & Dr Lydia KitayimbwaGuest speakers
Love, dating and marriage are among the most consequential choices young people make, yet attraction alone does not prepare anyone for the responsibilities of lasting relationships. Prof John and Dr Lydia Kitayimbwa invited students to examine relationships through character, personal values, maturity and commitment.
The deliberately provocative title opened a serious question: what kind of person should you become before you choose a partner? It was an intergenerational conversation about building healthy, respectful and purposeful relationships.
Conversation 02 · Recovery & care
My Winding Road from the Depths of Addiction to the Heights of Recovery
Bernard Ngoboka NkurunzizaFounder & Director, Arukah House Uganda · Mental health advocate
Behind every struggle with addiction is a human story; behind every recovery journey is the possibility of hope. Bernard Ngoboka Nkurunziza placed addiction, recovery, resilience and personal transformation at the centre of an honest evening at Nkrumah Hall.
The conversation encouraged healthier choices, compassion towards those experiencing addiction and the courage to seek help. It was a reminder that recovery is rarely a straight line, and that no one should have to walk it alone.
Conversation 01 · Work & money
Who Says You Can’t Be the Next Big Thing in Uganda’s Business Scene?
Stephen AsiimweChief Executive Officer, Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU)
Every successful business begins with an idea, but turning it into something meaningful takes courage, creativity, persistence and the right mindset. Stephen Asiimwe challenged students to look beyond the limits of their circumstances and recognise their potential as entrepreneurs, innovators and future business leaders.
The evening connected classroom learning to the real economy, and ambition to responsibility: enterprise as a way to create livelihoods, serve communities and lead well.
From the annual report
Also in the series.
The ELP 2025 Annual Report also records four additional conversations.
Source: ELP 2025 Annual Report.