Meet the Founders: A Sisterhood Shaping Mukakasa
- Team Mukakasa
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
There is something quietly assured about Mukakasa. It doesn’t try too hard to explain itself, nor does it need to.
The brand feels lived-in shaped by memory, movement, and a sense of identity that has taken time to understand. Founded by sisters Christine Mukakasa and Elizabeth Mukakasa, it sits at the intersection of Ugandan craftsmanship and Danish design, but more importantly, at the meeting point of two lives that have unfolded across continents and, until recently, somewhat apart.
Christine’s world has always been guided by instinct and creativity. “I was born in Denmark and spent part of my youth in East Africa,” she says. “After graduating as a fashion designer, I travelled the world… and ended up rooted in Amsterdam.” Her perspective carries that movement, fluid, curious, and constantly evolving. While her foundation is grounded in Scandinavian values, she describes her identity as something less fixed: “My core values are rooted in the Scandinavian rule janteloven, however… my identity is more eclectic and diversified.”
Elizabeth’s path feels more structured, though no less international. “Originally from Copenhagen, I set out into the world in 2001, driven by curiosity and a love of adventure,” she explains. Her career spans over two decades in international business, with years spent in London before settling in Rotterdam. At the centre of it all has been family “my anchor and my motivation” a constant as she built a life across cultures. And yet, despite growing up in Europe, her connection to Uganda remained strong. “My first trip to Uganda at the age of 15 was life changing, it fundamentally shifted my sense of self.”
Between them, Denmark and Uganda offered different but complementary frameworks for understanding the world. Denmark instilled “empathy, community, and social responsibility,” while Uganda brought something deeper and more rooted: “family bonds… and a deep respect for ancestry and lineage.” These influences didn’t compete; they accumulated, shaping how both sisters see identity ,not as singular, but layered.
Mukakasa began not with a business plan, but with a question Christine had carried for years, what does it mean to translate heritage into something tangible? “I have always wanted to explore how my cultural heritage would translate into products,” she says. In 2023, she began working directly with artisans in Uganda, exploring materials, techniques, and what might emerge from that dialogue. It was an intuitive beginning, one that gradually took form.
For Elizabeth, the decision to join felt almost inevitable. “When my sister began talking about returning to Uganda, it felt like something that had always been part of our story.” What started as a personal reconnection soon revealed the potential for something more structured, something that could exist both creatively and commercially. The balance between them became clear early on. “My sister is more business-oriented, while I am more product-driven, it seemed like a perfect match,” Christine says. Elizabeth puts it more analytically: “We realised it could become something bigger when it became clear how different we are and how well that difference works.”
The name itself carries that sense of continuity. Mukakasa, they explain, was the name given to their father by their grandparents, meaning “truly mine.” It is deeply personal, tied to lineage and memory. For Elizabeth, seeing it take on new life feels almost inevitable: “Seeing a name that meant so much to our father living on through beautiful objects feels deeply personal.” It is not branding in the conventional sense, but something closer to inheritance.
That sense of origin is present in the work itself. Mukakasa exists in the tension between two design traditions that, at first glance, seem at odds. From Uganda comes materiality and history “the earth and what it has provided through generations,” as Christine describes it, referencing clay, basket weaving, wood carving, and evolving techniques like crocheting. From Denmark comes restraint, functionality, quality, and a belief that design should serve a purpose. “Details were added for functionality, and the quality is pivotal for longevity,” she explains.
Rather than smoothing over these differences, Mukakasa leans into them. “The tension is what makes it interesting,” Christine says. The irregularities of the handmade are not corrected but embraced, sitting alongside a pared-back aesthetic that values clarity and use. The result is a kind of quiet dialogue, objects that feel both grounded and considered, where imperfection becomes part of the design language.
The process behind each piece reflects that same balance. It begins with research, understanding the history of materials and techniques before moving into development alongside artisans. “Researching, creating a product proposal, and working in collaboration with the artisans to develop the best possible product,” Christine explains. There is an emphasis on respect and exchange, rather than imposition.
Sustainability, too, is approached with a sense of return rather than reinvention. “Using natural materials is the most important part… it feels right to go back to basics and work together with nature.” At the same time, the sisters are pragmatic about the realities of building a brand. “We sometimes have to get items made in other parts of the world… as the processes for high quality are not always available locally.” It is this honesty acknowledging both intention and limitation that gives the brand its integrity.
If Mukakasa is about heritage, it is equally about relationship. Despite sharing a family, Christine and Elizabeth did not grow up closely,separated by a 14-year age gap and different life stages. Building the brand has changed that. “We are really getting to know each other on a completely different level,” Christine says. For Elizabeth, it has been just as meaningful: “Working together has allowed me to truly get to know my sister as an adult.”
Their collaboration is marked by a clear understanding of roles and a mutual respect that feels instinctive rather than negotiated. “I trust my sister’s creative direction completely,” Elizabeth says, while Christine describes their approach simply as working “respectfully and kindly.” Around them, a wider family network offers support, reinforcing the sense that Mukakasa is not just built by two individuals, but held by something larger.
Looking ahead, their ambitions are quietly expansive. “We are hoping to create a place where the dual culture creates a new language in the design world,” Christine says a language that extends beyond objects into spaces and experiences. It is less about scale and more about influence, about shaping how cultures can meet without losing their distinctiveness.
In the end, what defines Mukakasa is not just what it produces, but what it represents. A way of holding multiple identities without needing to resolve them into one. A way of building something that feels both personal and shared.
When asked about success, neither sister speaks in conventional terms. “Success for me is that I can make it a livelihood doing what I enjoy and love,” Christine says. Elizabeth’s answer is even simpler: “Freedom, to do what I love and to spend time with the people I love.”
It is a definition that feels consistent with everything Mukakasa stands for : measured, intentional, and rooted in something real.
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