We are thrilled to announce that the OpenMRS community has elected Samuel Lubwama as our new Community Representative to the Board of Directors for the 2026–2028 term. In an election that beautifully showcased the vibrant, democratic spirit of our community, Samuel secured 55% of the votes. He steps into this pivotal role with a clear mandate: to listen, learn and amplify the voices of the global contributors who drive OpenMRS forward.
This blog post features a conversation with Samuel, where we dive into his vision, his strategic goals and what this milestone means for the future of our community.
Who is Samuel Lubwama?
Samuel Lubwama is a health informatics professional, software engineer and long-time OpenMRS contributor from Uganda.
I joined the OpenMRS community in 2016 with a passion for using technology to strengthen healthcare systems and solve real healthcare challenges. Since then, I’ve worked across both development and deployment of UgandaEMR in different healthcare environments — from national referral hospitals to regional hospitals, health centers, and private facilities.
Over the years, I’ve grown into a senior developer, mentor and technical leader supporting digital health systems, interoperability, and national-scale health programs. I’ve also supported cross-border digital health initiatives around border health security across Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, which strengthened my understanding of regional healthcare collaboration and interoperability.
What motivates me most is seeing healthcare workers and patients benefit from technology that truly works within their environment while also growing strong open-source communities around it.
You’ve been a dedicated part of the OpenMRS community since 2016. Looking back at your journey from contributor to senior developer and contributor, how does it feel to now represent this community at the Board level?
It’s both humbling and a big responsibility.
When I joined OpenMRS in 2016, I came in eager to learn and contribute. Through collaboration, mentorship and continuous learning within the community, I gradually grew into leadership and technical responsibilities. Being trusted to represent the community at Board level means a lot to me because I understand both the technical side and the realities on the ground. I see myself as a bridge between leadership, developers, implementers, and the healthcare communities using OpenMRS every day.
For me, leadership starts with listening, and I want to ensure that community voices continue shaping the future of OpenMRS.
With your extensive experience on UgandaEMR and implementing OpenMRS, what is the most critical “on-the-ground” challenge you want to ensure the Board understands?
Having worked both in development and deployment of UgandaEMR across Uganda, I’ve had the chance to work in many healthcare environments: national referral hospitals, regional hospitals, Health Center IVs, Health Center IIIs, and private healthcare facilities.
One thing I’ve learned is that every facility and every country has its own reality. As developers, we sometimes focus heavily on building exciting features, but we may not spend enough time understanding the real healthcare environments where the software is used.
Different facilities operate under very different realities. A national referral hospital does not have the same needs as a small rural facility. Infrastructure, staffing, workflows and priorities all differ.
I believe OpenMRS needs to continue growing as a flexible and scalable ecosystem that can adapt to different healthcare settings. Developers also need stronger exposure to operational realities so they can build solutions that truly match what healthcare teams need.
At the end of the day, technology only succeeds when it truly fits the healthcare realities of the people using it.
The Community Representative seat is a vital link between high-level leadership and the developers/implementers. How do you plan to keep your finger on the matters of the community to ensure their voices are heard?
Every OpenMRS community deserves to be heard because our ecosystem is very diverse.
I already have strong experience within Uganda and many African healthcare environments such as Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mozambique, Malawi,, Sierra Leone and South Sudan. But I also understand that being an effective representative means continuously learning from other regions and cultures as well.
Different countries have different healthcare realities, technical capacities, workflows and priorities. What works in one environment may not work the same way somewhere else. My approach is to stay actively engaged in community discussions, developer conversations and regional collaborations so I can properly represent those voices at Board level.
I also believe this helps developers build more focused and sustainable solutions instead of building features in isolation. OpenMRS succeeds because of its communities and our leadership should reflect that diversity.
You are well-known for mentoring others within the community. As a Board member, how will you advocate for better pathways for new contributors to grow within the ecosystem?
Uganda has one of the largest contributor communities within OpenMRS and I’ve seen what really helps grow contributors.
One major entry point is universities. When students start contributing early, they build skills, confidence and connection to the community before entering the professional workspace.
Hackathons, bootcamps, mentorship and community engagements also make contributions approachable and exciting.
As a Board member, I would advocate for stronger onboarding programs, mentorship structures, contributor bootcamps and simpler tooling for new contributors.
Most strong contributors start as curious people first, then enthusiasts, and eventually become community leaders. If we invest in people early and support them well, we build a stronger and more sustainable OpenMRS ecosystem.
If we were to look back at the end of your term in 2028, what is the one major achievement or change you hope to have helped OpenMRS accomplish?
OpenMRS has already made a huge impact in government-supported and partner-supported healthcare environments, especially across Africa.
But one area where I still see huge opportunity is the private healthcare sector.
If by 2028 we can see stronger adoption of OpenMRS within private healthcare entities and position OpenMRS as a trusted first-choice EMR platform, I would consider that a major achievement.
I believe long-term sustainability comes when both public and private healthcare systems actively invest in and grow the platform.
I would also love to see a stronger contributor community, more sustainable developer participation, better implementation support, and broader adoption beyond Africa into more continents.
My vision is to see OpenMRS continue growing into one of the world’s most trusted and affordable digital health platforms.
If over the next few years we can help create a stronger and more sustainable ecosystem for both public and private healthcare, then I will feel that I achieved my goal.
What is your primary commitment or message to community members who participated in this election and placed their trust in your leadership?
My commitment is simple: to serve with openness, consistency, and accountability.
I will continue listening to the community, collaborating with implementers and developers, and advocating for the values that make OpenMRS special openness, innovation, inclusion, and shared purpose.
To everyone who trusted and supported me, thank you. I see this not as a personal achievement, but as a shared responsibility to continue growing OpenMRS and strengthening healthcare systems together.
OpenMRS BoD Community Representative
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