Joshua Baraka is taking another step in his career — this time as the face of Johnnie Walker’s new Keep Walking campaign in Uganda.
The Kampala-born singer-songwriter was unveiled as the brand’s National Walker during the campaign launch in Kampala on Thursday, putting the spotlight not just on his growing music career, but on the work and uncertainty behind it.
Baraka has spent the past few years steadily building his place in Uganda’s music scene, moving from intimate performances and early releases to becoming one of the country’s recognisable young musical voices.
Now, his story is being connected to a campaign built around the idea that success is a journey rather than a final destination.
“I have always believed that the journey is just as important as the destination,” Baraka said at the launch.
That idea closely mirrors the campaign’s “One Step Closer” theme, which celebrates the small victories, setbacks and decisions that gradually move people toward their goals.
For Baraka, those steps have included plenty of moments that never made headlines — the songs that took time to connect, performances that opened doors and risks that did not always produce the expected result.
“There are so many moments that people do not see, the work, the uncertainty, the decisions, and the small wins that eventually become something bigger,” he said.
As part of the campaign, Baraka’s story will travel beyond Kampala through a nationwide roadshow, giving fans an opportunity to connect with another side of the artist and the broader message behind Keep Walking.
The journey is expected to culminate in a larger Kampala show, extending the campaign from a launch moment into a nationwide experience.
For Baraka, the appointment as National Walker feels less like a finish line and more like another marker in a career that is still taking shape.
That may be the most fitting part of the partnership. Before the applause, recognition and major career milestones, there is the less glamorous business of showing up, experimenting, taking risks and trying again.
Baraka’s next step is already underway — and, true to the campaign’s message, he is still walking.