Prime Admin – Page 5 – Prime Time Communications

Education

More than 500 youths trained in multimedia skills to combat unemployment and boost incomes ingreater Masaka

By Adam WalusimbiAt the Kyazanga Town Council headquarters in Lwengo District in greater Masaka, trainees pay attentionto every detail as their trainers explain how to design a graphics card for marketing a product using thefree smartphone app, Canva. From colour selection, font selection, image placement, and integration,the trainees follow along on their smartphones, creating designs unique to their business ideas.One of the trainees is Earnest Kaitare, a senior six leaver who recently took up poultry farming to raisefunds for university tuition fees. Kaitare’s poster design features pictures of a chicken and eggs with textthat reads “20% Eid Discount on all products. Order Today.”Kaitare’s strategy aimed to increase sales during the Eid Al-Adha celebrations that was held on June 16,2024, when Muslims celebrated by sacrificing animals and holding feasts. Once completed, Kaitareintended to share the poster on social media and print and distribute posters and flyers in Kyazanga,which has a large Muslim community.Kaitare is one of the youths from five selected districts in the greater Masaka region who were trainedand as part of the digital skilling program of the Uganda Communications Commission under the UgandaCommunications Universal Service and Access Fund (UCUSAF). The skilling program implemented inpartnership with Prime Time Communications is aimed at enabling youth to create and/or findsustainable jobs.According to Kaitare, the training has been an eye-opener, especially on how the use of free mobileapplications like Adobe Express, Kine Master, Canva, TikTok, among others could help expand hiscustomer base and boost sales online. With the skills acquired from the training, Hadijjah Nanteza will enhance her work as a generalmerchandise salesperson by using short videos and multimedia content. This would allow her to sharevideos and pictures of her products, expanding her customer base beyond Kyazanga and increasing hercommissions, without the need to travel from house to house.In Kalungu District, trainee Winfred Nalusiba described the digital training as ‘eye-opening’ in regards tothe mobile apps she often overlooked on her phone. “We learned how to effectively use Google Meet toconnect with other people. As a caterer and event planner, I can now plan efficiently with clients evenwhen we are not in the same location, using video to show them the various decorations and mealoptions,” said Nalusiba.Bugembe Cyrus Miller, a trainee from Kalungu, who has always used TikTok for socializing, now plans toventure into social media influencing, thanks to the videography and social media skills acquired duringthe training. Speaking to trainees at the Mateete Sub-County Headquarters in Sembabule District, Eng. JamesBeronda, the UCUSAF Director, commended the youths for their enthusiasm in acquiring new skillswhich would enable them to earn extra income using their smartphones. Eng. Beronda emphasized theimportance of using the skills acquired during the training to generate income using their smartphones, instead of using them for non-productive activities. He reaffirmed UCC’s commitment to supportingdigital skills acquisition to boost youth incomes and combat unemployment in Uganda.Eng. Susan Nakanwagi, the UCUSAF Technical Manager said that the digital skilling program, currently inits third year, will be extended to include more underserved districts in the 2025/26 financial year due toits significant impact and success among targeted youth. Eng. Nakanwagi confirmed that many youngpeople in these districts have had smartphones for a long time but lacked the skills and knowledge touse them effectively to improve their livelihoods.

June 27, 2024

Automotive Industry

Kiira Motors unveils the 2024 8-Meter Kayoola EVS Model

6th June 2024 – Kiira Motors Corporation today delivered a batch of eight (8) 8-Meter Kayoola EVS buses produced at Luweero Industries Limited in Nakasongola to the Kiira Vehicle Plant in Jinja, bringing the total stock of Electric Buses produced in Uganda to fifteen (15). This has signalled Kiira Motors’ readiness for delivering bespoke electric mass transit solutions for the African market. The 2024 8-Meter Kayoola EVS is a fully electric city bus with a nominal range of 200 kilometres on a full charger and capacity of 56 passengers. It forms the latest offering from Kiira Motors’ rich portfolio of state-of-the-art Ugandan-made buses. The bus is built to offer the utmost comfort and convenience with features like infotainment systems, CCTV cameras, E-Ticketing & Cashless Payment Systems, Wi-Fi, inclusive design for the elderly and persons with disabilities, USB charging, ample carrying capacity, and the highest quality and safety standards. The convoy of 8 buses caused a stir as they weaved through traffic from Luwero to Kawempe, across the Northern Bypass for a brief stopover at the Kisaasi roundabout before proceeding to Bweyogerere and finally to Jinja covering a distance of 236 kilometres. Hon. Prof. Sandy Stevens Tickodri-Togboa, Kiira Motors’ Executive Chairman, said, “Uganda’s push towards becoming a net source of e-Mobility Solutions in Africa is steadily getting closer and we are proud to be contributing to this agenda. This progress has been made possible by the strategic partnership we have fostered with National Enterprise Corporation and its Luwero Industries Limited subsidiary.” He added that following World Environment Day – which is celebrated internationally on the 5th of June every year – and with the knowledge that Kampala’s air is nine times more polluted than the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s recommended limit[1] – more Ugandan public and private sector players need to embrace environmentally sustainable means of mass transit for the good of the environment with solutions that offer quality and value for money like the Kiira Motors portfolio of products. The company is also looking to mainstream the deployment and distribution of its fast-charging infrastructure to cater to its customers and other Ugandans who have embraced the electric vehicle transition. Eng. Ian John Kavuma, Kiira Motors’ Quality Inspection and Testing Manager added, “We are in the process of onboarding several partners with whom we shall work to ensure that a robust charging network is established across the country in line with the National E-Mobility Strategy for a seamless electric vehicle ownership experience.” Kiira Motors offers fast-chargers ranging between 60kW and 360kW. The 2024 Kayoola EVS comes in the following variations: 18-meter EV with capacity of 120 passengers; 12-meter EVS with capacity of 90 passengers; 10-meter EVS with capacity of 70 passengers, and 8-meter EVS with capacity of 56 passengers. ENDS For orders, go to: https://bit.ly/kmcproducts For any inquiries, send an email to: sales@kiiramotors.com | info@kiiramotors.com [1] https://globalpressjournal.com/africa/uganda/trouble-breathing-kampala-quite-likely-air/

June 7, 2024

News

Buganda, Duke of Edinburgh sign youth pact

Buganda, Duke of Edinburgh sign youth pact The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth 11, has paid a courtesy call on the Kabaka of Buganda at Bulange Mengo. The Prince who chairs the The Duke of Edinburgh International Award program was received by the Katikiro, Charles Peter Mayiga, Prince David Kintu Wasajja, Dr. Christine Nabaloga (Kabaka’s co-heir) and Prince Kiweewa Junju (Eldest son to Kabaka Ronald Mutebi II). The Prince who was accompanied by the British High Commissioner to Uganda brought a message of good will from King Charles III to the Kabaka and recognized the Kingdoms efforts in impacting the youth through various developmental programs aimed at skilling and training the youth to ready them for the job market. Prince Edward emphasized that while access to formal education is vital, many of life’s greatest lessons happen beyond the classroom. The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award gives young people the chance to discover exactly that. On his part, the Katikkiro , Charles Peter Mayiga warmly welcomed the Duke of Edinburgh to Bulange Mengo the administrative seat of the Kingdom of Buganda and passed on a special message to King Charles III from his majesty the Kabaka of Buganda. He welcomed the Edinburgh International award program and expressed optimism that the Kingdom youth will greatly benefit from this initiative. The Duke and the Katikkiro witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Kingdom of Buganda and the Edinburgh International awards program. William Blick, Chairman Board of Trustees signed on behalf of the Program – Uganda Chapter and Omuk. Sebuwufu Roland – Chief Executive, Buganda Investments and Commercial Undertakings signed on behalf of Buganda Kingdom. This initiative will be implemented by the Kingdoms ministry of Youth, sports and recreation.

March 20, 2024

Out to Lunch

Out to Lunch: Giga factories could provide solutions to Africa’s job challenges

By Denis Jjuuko There used to be a TV series on the National Geographic channel that showed some of the biggest or busiest things in the world. From the busiest hotel in the world, train station to the airport. Imagine a hotel with 7,000 rooms, fully booked and all the guests eating breakfast at almost the same time or within a few hours. And then meals have to be prepared for a similar number as well as walk in clients. Think of an airport that handles more than 250,000 passengers a day. The same TV program also had a segment on mega factories sitting on hundreds of acres of land with thousands of employees producing some of the famous brands we know today. These series were some of the most fascinating things one can watch. A single factory as big as some of the suburbs of Kampala. If you are a regular reader of this column, you may have noticed my fascination with manufacturing. I think most countries develop by manufacturing stuff even though some have done so through financial services and being trading outposts. But the majority, it is manufacturing that creates the jobs and propels economic transformation. The United States, the world’s biggest economy, is desperate to have the factories back from China and elsewhere. Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, is known for manufacturing. Japan is also known for the same. Without mega factories in China, the majority of Chinese would be unemployed. Manufacturing creates sustainable decent jobs where the majority of people can work. It doesn’t require sophistication for workers to get things done because what the majority of factory workers do is repetitive. Within a few days on the job, a worker can easily be trained to press a button or fix something before the product goes to the next person on the line even for the most sophisticated products. Africa plays a decimal role in manufacturing relying on other countries to do so. A report by McKinsey says that Africa will need to create 18 million jobs a year to absorb the growing labour force until about 2035. Payment apps and all sorts of apps built around the Airbnb and Uber models that are attracting lots of funding from angel investors won’t be the only solution for Africa’s development. In fact, the majority of those apps are collapsing because they were surviving on capital being raised from Silicon Valley without enough customer base to sustain them. They should have known that unemployed people have no money to transact through the payment apps and are too broke to order for food on delivery apps. One of the things Africa can do is to build factories. They don’t have to be mega though like those in the TV series. We could build giga ones instead and get the continent ready for the battery market in preparation for a transition from fossils to electrification of mobility. Oil, as a scarce resource, made the countries where it was discovered wealthy. Countries couldn’t just manufacture oil. They had to drill it in the wells where it was discovered in commercially viable quantities. The world relied on them and they could sometimes refuse to pump or pumped more than required. As electric vehicles become the norm, those who will have invested in giga factories will become as important as the Arabs have been with their oil. Unlike oil which couldn’t be found anywhere in sufficient commercial quantities, anyone can build batteries and electrification components if they focused on them. There are more electric boda bodas in Kampala than ever and people have started importing electric and hybrid vehicles given that this financial year there is no import duty charged on such vehicles. The countries that are developing this capacity today won’t pass on the knowledge to Africans. The continent will continue to organize conferences sponsored by the west to talk and talk about the imbalance between the north and south and issue communiques after communiques like it has been the case for more than 60 years now. Nobody will transfer knowledge to the continent because some technocrats attended a conference and talked about it. Many of the raw materials required to make the batteries are here. What is required is to build our intellectual property to play a part in this industry. Building the giga factories on the continent will not only create sustainable decent jobs but also enable vertical integration of automotive and mobility businesses and wean Africa off its reliance on global supply chains that can easily be disrupted by geopolitical maneuvers or pandemics like we saw in 2020. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

February 21, 2024

Education

#OutToLunch: Graduates may have to consider dirty jobs

By Denis Jjuuko In many of Kampala’s restaurants and hotels the other week, you could not fail to notice some happy people enjoying meals, taking photos and celebrating their achievements. The older people in the groups seemed happier. They had done their job. Their children had finally made it having graduated from Makerere University, the country’s premier higher institution of learning. It is one of the happiest moments for the majority of Ugandan parents having paid tuition fees and such other things for at least 20 years. Graduation also marks a passage to adulthood. From dependency to parents and guardians to becoming a benefactor to sometimes the parents themselves or even the siblings of the person who has graduated. Usually, the parents and aunties start even asking whether you found somebody at university. Grandchildren are now on their minds. In that moment, nobody realizes that the country, according to some reports, creates only a few thousand jobs a year. Makerere alone sees more than 12,000 students graduate annually. In the early years of Uganda’s independence, graduation meant a good job that came with a house in “staff quarters” or “Kizungu”, ability to buy a car and pencil your name in the annals of Uganda’s middle or even upper class. It is a bit different this time. Jobs of whatever nature are really scarce to find yet our university education focuses largely on what people call white collar jobs — the kind of jobs where people wear nice suits, sit in swivel chairs and work on a computer and call it a day at 5.00pm. Formal education creates these expectations which have come to be a bit unrealistic. That is why thousands of people apply for a single job in Uganda. There is a mismatch between education and the job market. There is a need for these two to talk to each other so that we educate people who can find the jobs that could be created today. There of course will always be formal jobs because some people will retire but we are also a very young country, which means we will see more people staying on jobs longer than ever especially those who adapt to emerging technologies. Artificial intelligence will continue to disrupt the workforce leading to redundancy like we have seen with tech behemoths in America laying off people. The beauty with technology though is that other jobs will be created. Those who will survive will be those who can adapt to new ways of working. As Makerere was carrying out its week-long graduation ceremony, Facebook was celebrating 20 years of its founding. In a post by Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook (now under Meta) CEO and founder, to celebrate the occasion, talked about artificial intelligence and the metaverse and the role they will play in future. He said his platforms (WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and Facebook) are used by more than three billion people at least once a day. What that means is that today’s graduate is most likely going to use these platforms to do their job. Of course, we can argue that you don’t need a degree to learn to use these platforms but how can we take advantage of them? They offer great marketing possibilities at almost no cost. Many young people are today earning money as influencers and content creators. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) without large marketing budgets are taking advantage of these platforms. It is a shame that Facebook is banned in Uganda. It is a business enabler. Many business owners in the informal sector don’t know how to fully use these platforms for business purposes and university graduates could utilize them and support these SMEs. Large companies are already doing this, which means small businesses should do so too. Such graduates who take advantage of this must continue learning as the technology evolves. If they thought learning has ended with their degrees, they would be deceiving themselves. Even though we love talking about technology and the possibilities, we should never forget that a lot of work and opportunities are in jobs some people refer to as dirty. Jobs where you use your hands to work in sometimes places that may not have swivel chairs and air conditioning. For example, in many areas, there are lots of residential buildings coming up. Just outside my office, a building with perhaps 100 condominium apartments has just opened up. Lots of people have moved in since the beginning of the year. At least for now, artificial intelligence won’t clean it or do errands for the occupants. Yet imagine if one did errands for about 30% of the apartments every week, they would be able to earn a decent income. Or they need is being efficient and professional and use tech platforms to get ahead. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

February 19, 2024

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch: Investment ideas to fulfill your 2024 resolutions

By Denis Jjuuko This week sees the end of the festive holiday period almost for every organisation especially those in the private and development sectors. Like every new year, many people come up with resolutions, committing themselves to what they would like to achieve. For many, making more money tops the list. Money, makes the world go round or so we are told. If making money is one of your resolutions, here are some ideas: Trading in FMCGs: There is a saying that cashflow is king. If you want to make money in 2024, you may have to look at businesses with a lot of cashflow. Trading is one such business. You can buy stuff in the morning and have them sold by the evening. This is common in the sector known as fast moving consumer goods or FMCGs. Almost everybody or household uses them every single day. Such goods may include sugar, soap, cooking oil, wheat, bread, and packaged drinks (soda, water, beer, juices etc.). Fuel (petrol and diesel) are considered as FMCGs too. There are so many other goods in this category just like you see in the supermarket or retail shop near you. Because they are highly consumable, they provide good returns to those who trade in them. The margins per item is small but the secret here is in the volumes. Traders earn about Shs500 or so per a carton of soda or bottled water but the numbers they can sell a day can be huge. A small trader doing just 1,000 cartons a day would be able to earn a gross income of half a million shillings. In a six-day week, that would be Shs3m or approximately Shs12m a month. Treasury bonds and bills/unit trusts: There is an increasing interest in treasury bonds and bills as well as unit trusts. Unlike trading, these are hustle free investment options. You simply walk into your commercial bank with a minimum of Shs100,000 and start investing in bonds and bills. Insurance companies and investment companies regulated by the Uganda Capital Markets Authority offer unit trust investment opportunities some of as little as Shs10,000. Bonds, bills and unit trusts offer returns of about 10% annually. If passive income is your thing, this is where to invest. If you reinvest the interest, in a few years, you can significantly see huge returns due to the power of compound interest. Real estate: There are some people who are running away from real estate especially rentals to invest in the hustle free treasury bonds and bills and unit trusts, which means there is a gap that is increasing in real estate rentals especially for the lower and middle income categories. Already, statistics from Habitat for Humanity Uganda indicate that the country’s housing deficit stands at 2.4 million housing units. As Uganda continues to urbanize, there will be an increasing demand for houses for especially young people who are doing their first or second jobs. Houses that are affordable for the lower and middle income earners will continue to be in demand for years. The investment here is also not so high and can be done incrementally over a long period of time. Besides rentals for this population segment, land banking and selling and buying are still other income generation and saving options. Motor vehicle spare parts: If you live and work in the greater Kampala metropolitan area, you know the state of the roads in the country. Each vehicle you see on the road is a potential client. Given the state of the roads, car breakdowns are going to be the norm rather than the exception. The lack of an efficient public transport system and the culture of owning a motor vehicle considered as a yardstick of success will see an ever-increasing number of vehicles on the road. Most of these vehicles come in old from Japan and the state of the roads will ensure frequent breakdowns. Roads take time to be built even when money is available, making investing in motor vehicle spare parts a worthwhile venture. Electric mobility: A trending photo this week was of Tesla car being offloaded from a car carrier somewhere in Uganda. Teslas are fully electric vehicles. Many development partners and blue-chip companies have started electrifying their fleets. This is a result of URA removing import duty on electric and hybrid vehicles this financial year. Kiira Motors’s vehicle plant is nearing completion with the installation of the assembly lines, paint shops and testing facilities ongoing in Jinja. But we don’t have enough mechanics and technical people to maintain these electric vehicles. We don’t even have enough well-trained electric bus drivers. The electric mobility value chain has great potential for those looking for investment opportunities this year. Personal health: Apart from making money, many people resolve to do something about their health every new year. They perhaps understand that you can only make money if you are alive and healthy. Personal health is already an industry worth of billions of dollars globally. As the country urbanizes and a few people get out of poverty, they will always be willing to spend on their personal health making it an area with potential returns for investors. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

February 5, 2024

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch: Patching up potholes and lighting ip expressways shouldn’t wait NAM/G77

By Denis Jjuuko In the early years of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), Dr Samson Kisekka was appointed Prime Minister and then Vice President. Kisekka was said to be a rich man who even had a certain part of Kampala named after him. He had built a modern private hospital in the 1970s in Makerere Kivulu/Kagugube area near Old Kampala. When traders of motor vehicles set up shop nearby, the market became known as Ewa Kisekka or Kisekka Market as we know it today. Dr Kisekka is said to have been a man of means who is rumored to have provided significant resources to Museveni’s rebel outfit, the National Resistance Army or NRA which would capture power in 1986. Kisekka was rewarded with the influential position of Prime Minister and later Vice President. Vice Presidents all over the world usually play the role similar to that of a bridesmaid — be near the bride but not do too much to outshine the bride. May be because of boredom, Dr Kisekka perhaps became the first Vice President in history to hold a weekly radio show. In the days before 1993, Uganda had only one radio station. So, every Tuesday evening, Kisekka did his radio show on Radio Uganda. He was boisterous, boastful, funny and engaging with a deep voice that was actually meant for radio despite his old age. He boasted about his farm in Temangalo near Kampala. He talked about the good life he lived. He reminded whoever cared to listen that he was “Omusawo Omutendeke” translated as a professional medical doctor. As a “Doctor Omutendeke”, he urged his audience to listen to the advice he was giving them if they wanted to live a similar good life like the one he was living. One of Kisekka’s pet subjects was on how Ugandans prepare for visitors. How they leave no stone unturned because visitors were expected at their homes or in their communities. On a tour somewhere in Uganda, Kisekka realized that the community had just worked on the road so that he could use it. They had filled the potholes, dug the trenches and had the road reserve slashed of any bushes days before his arrival. In his speech, which was played on Radio Uganda, Dr Kisekka deeply laughed at the community telling them in their faces that they were an unserious lot. He said they didn’t need to dig up the road for him because he was arriving in a monster vehicle as VP and most importantly, he was also wearing designer shoes. There was no way thorns would pierce his feet. He reminded them, that his car had been driven all the way to the platform where he was standing to give the speech. He then delivered the punch. “Unlike me, you and your children have no shoes. You have no vehicles so thorns will always be piercing you. What about ensuring that your community road is always well maintained even when you are not expecting me?” he said and then let out his signature laugh. On another time, he refused the gifts of goats and chickens the community was giving him. He told them his farm in Temangalo had lots of goats, cows and whatever food he wanted to eat. Yet when he looked at the people giving him the chickens and eggs, they looked like they lacked proteins and hadn’t eaten eggs or meat in a year. He laughed again, boisterously with a lot of pride. Kisekka must be turning in his grave that decades after his speeches and even death, his NRM-beloved is doing exactly what he was telling people not to do — preparing everything for visitors as they starve. Patching up potholes and lighting up expressway spurs just because visitors are coming. The visitors would tell a mature palm tree that was planted the other day. They would tell a road patched up for them. They would know that the lack of traffic jams is because roads are blocked and the citizens are told to use the dusty Nakawuka road to access Entebbe International Airport. Imagine if we had built the Nakawuka road without waiting for the visitors? Businesses would prosper in that area. Uganda Revenue Authority would collect more taxes. We would decongest Kampala of traffic jams. If we hadn’t waited for visitors to patch up potholes, we would have created a culture where roads are well maintained throughout the year. The visitors would then come and see a well-managed country and would wish to return or invest. We may create the impression for visitors from Entebbe to Munyonyo and some parts of the city centre but what if they venture out of their hotels and visit bars in Najjeera on their own? Won’t they see the messed up roads? What if they visit Kabalagala (which many will do) and then realize that not everything that glitters is gold? Will they still be impressed? As Kampala and Entebbe were put on a standstill so that Uganda hosts delegates attending the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the G77 conferences, let us a create a culture that impresses the citizens and residents first. That is how countries and cities develop. Remember what Kisekka said more than 30 years ago. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

February 5, 2024

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch: There is more to learn from Joseph Yiga than just his mega country home

By Denis Jjuuko In the early evening of the second day of this year, a video started trending on various social media platforms in Uganda. A guest attending a house warming party had recorded the video while narrating what the amenities were in the house. He concentrated on the visitors’ toilets, guest house, flowers and the sheer size of the compound. Although he exaggerated the acreage of the land on which the house sits, the picture was clear for everyone. Photos eventually emerged as well. For the next few days, social media discussions were centered on the house. Its sheer size and architectural beauty. One person tweeted that at least Kampala’s billionaires were finally building something Hollywood-esque. Others compared it to a five-star hotel in Kigo. Both the hotel it was compared to and the mansion borrow from the Mediterranean architectural themes. A well-traveled friend who was among the guests at the house warming party told me that he hadn’t entered a house that big before and commended the owner’s taste. On social media, eventually everyone asked who the owner was. It turned out, the house on the shores of Lake Victoria in Kasanje Buwaya belonged to Kampala businessman and papal knight Joseph Yiga and his wife Regina. Many people had never heard of Joseph Yiga before and many actually confused him with a dealer in real estate with whom he shares both names. Yet Joseph Yiga is the founder of one of Uganda’s most known brands — Steel and Tube and before that, Hardware Deals. I would never blame them for not knowing him. I have been to events where Yiga has attended but he keeps a low profile. He will never arrive at an event where he would ask the protocol people whether they knew who he was. That is for wannabes who actually have nothing to their name or have just fallen into things the other day. Yiga didn’t become a captain of the industry the other day. He has been in the trenches of business for the better part of his life. Before he founded Hardware Deals, the precursor to Steel and Tube, Yiga had been involved in the cosmetics business among others. As Kampala expanded, he saw opportunities in the construction sector and eventually started his steel manufacturing empire. Steel and Tube is said to be among the top five steel manufacturing businesses in Uganda. That means he can afford the mansion in Kasanje that rivals some of the best five-star hotels in Kampala. But I don’t want to write about his mansion. We know he can afford it. But what do we learn from him? The story is in his move from a hardware stockist to a large manufacture of steel products. He was never contented with playing second fiddle to businessmen from Asia who came here and set up manufacturing businesses and controlled the market. Many Ugandan businesspeople travel to Asia, particularly China, for decades importing stuff and stocking them. Most of the stuff they import can easily be made here but they don’t look at business that way. Countries develop when nationals can control some of the sectors of the economy. If we concentrate on being traders of stuff we can make, we are always at the mercy of those who manufacture them. Manufacturers set the price of their products. They determine the quality and quantity you can get. They can even remove the business from you and start dealing with another trader who may be can deposit more money with them than you. There is nothing you can do about it. That way they determine how much money you can make and you will never make more than them. Many times, they use your money. Had Yiga remained a hardware dealer in Nakasero in the Kampala Central Business District, he would have been wealthy but not able to control any percentage of the steel market in Uganda and the region as he does today. He would probably have built a mega country home but not as luxurious as the one he built in Kasanje Buwaya. He would have employed many people but not the thousands that work in his factories today. If there is anything Ugandan businesspeople can learn from Joseph Yiga, it is the need to move from trading to manufacturing and of course other sectors like banking. We can’t be leaving this to only foreign entities. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

February 5, 2024

Out to Lunch

OutToLunch: Electric mobility as a new year business option

By Denis Jjuuko One of the most trending videos last year was of a bus driver recorded having a meal while driving. He wasn’t snacking, picking on a crisp or something. He had his plate full from which he would pick some African food while driving. At one stage, he even sipped some soup direct from the plate. On seeing the video, police as usual reacted and had him arrested. Another driver was recorded WhatsApping while driving a busload of passengers. One would expect that bus drivers pay the utmost attention given the number of people on board. In most cases, they are the worst. They drive at high speeds beyond the 80kph that they emboss at the back of their buses, overtake in blind spots, or simply overtake and other road users must find their way or else a head on collusion. They install train horns in their vehicles that they sound with reckless abandon. They don’t care if they make you deaf in the process, as long as they have sounded the horn as if their lives entirely depend on it. Most times, the buses are rickety with broken centre bolts that make it impossible to move in a straight line. If you want to see impunity on the road, follow a bus on a highway. One of the major reasons they drive that way is because many haven’t received proper bus driving training. They are easily moved from lorries or even taxis to buses. Some start as cargo loaders and along the way start learning to drive. In a few years, they are bus drivers. Most bus drivers are paid per a trip so drivers consider sitting down for a meal or driving at the recommended kilometre per hour a wastage of time. The more trips they make, the more money they earn in a day, week or month. The more money a bus owner makes. I have though never understood why a businessman would spend Shs700 million or more on a bus and then hand it to the most incompetent driver ever or one who wouldn’t care about how the bus is driven. If bus owners don’t value human life, at least they should look at their investments. Many of these buses don’t have comprehensive insurance so once they are involved in an accident, that is the end of it. No compensation. That could explain why many bus companies struggle to stay in business for decades. So, I was impressed on a recent visit to Nakasongola where I met bus drivers undergoing skilling by Kiira Motors. Even though the program being implemented by Kiira is updating drivers with the skills they need to drive electric buses, it is also focusing on customer care and experience, traffic rules and regulations, routine service maintenance and repair as well as handling and operation of equipment including electric charging. If they can skill a big pool of bus drivers including those who drive internal combustion engine buses, the better for the country. Passengers eventually won’t be driven from one part of Uganda to another like bales of used clothing. But this work can’t be left to one entity and its parent ministry. Bus and taxi drivers must be equipped with regular skills they need to do a job that puts the lives of the passengers and other road users first. Not just thinking of how many trips they can make a day. Bus owners must be aligned to this necessity as well. Of course, it isn’t just bus and taxi drivers that require refresher driving courses. Many ‘my cars’ drive recklessly and don’t even know basic traffic rules and regulations. Once they have made some money, they buy a car and next day, they are driving for Christmas to the village to show it off to their relatives. Many arrive by sheer luck. Beyond the case for driving, last year saw an increase in the number of electric vehicles in Uganda albeit with nearly all of them in Kampala. Some corporate bodies, NGOs and diplomatic missions accredited to Uganda started electrifying their fleets. This heralds a new era of electric mobility. Sooner than later, there will be lots of electric vehicles without the skills to drive and maintain them. The opportunities for electric vehicles are massive and there is a lot for the private sector to play. We shouldn’t just wait when the vehicles are all over the city and then try to catch up. It isn’t just cars by the way. Some entrepreneurs have been converting boda bodas from petrol engines to rechargeable batteries. Since there are more boda bodas than cars in Uganda, that sector also has a lot of potential—from charging infrastructure, skilling, to maintenance. If you are reflecting on what to do in the new year, electric mobility is one option. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

January 10, 2024

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch: Lifetime skills for S6 students on vacation

By Denis Jjuuko If you visit some of the malls in Kampala these days, you would not fail to notice young people milling around the rails, dressed in damaged jeans and taking selfies with their peers. Many are on vacation having completed their advanced level secondary education even though there are many who may not be in this category. Some end up catching a movie or having some chips and chicken served in cardboard boxes. The majority though are just hanging around. For the next eight months or so, such students especially from middle income families will wake up to do nothing for nearly a year as they wait to join university and other such higher institutions of learning. Parents will be happy to let them hang around the city with reckless abandon. Yet this is the time for these young people to acquire some skills, do some work and gain experience or gain some lifetime skills. So what can students on a long senior six school break done during this time? Here are some ideas. Learning to drive Self driving vehicles are many years away even in the developed world. So driving will remain an important lifetime skill for many people. Some jobs such as sales and marketing in big organizations require somebody who knows how to drive. But also it is a job itself for many people. Somebody who knows how to drive has an advantage over someone who doesn’t. It also enables one to be responsible as drivers make decisions every second. If you want your child to improve their decision making capabilities, teach them how to drive. Don’t just teach them how to drive though. Let them learn how to change tyres, washing the vehicle and even changing oil. Cooking and baking There will never be a day when people won’t need food. Most people will always eat cooked food. So instead of the child eating food in cardboard boxes as I mentioned earlier, let them learn how to cook. You can take them to a school that teaches people to cook or bring a teacher at home to teach them. You can pull this together with your friends or relatives in the same neighborhood to reduce the cost. Even if they don’t end up doing this as a business, they will still be able to cook food for themselves and their families. If you teach them baking, they would even start earning income during this period. They can make cookies (or is it daddies?), cakes and such other stuff and sell to their colleagues or shops nearby using the same amount of money as capital that they were spending loitering in Kampala malls. Content creation Creating content is now a source of income for many. Many content creators or social and digital media influencers have no formal qualifications in the work they do. They get a smartphone and generate content. I believe that those who will get trained will become better and earn better. So teach the child photography and videography basics so that they don’t necessarily have to just spend their time taking selfies or photographing the food before they eat it so they can share with their buddies for bragging rights on Gram! Along the way they will become experts and start earning as soon as possible. You can hire a photographer or videographer to teach your children these skills. Even if they don’t become content creators, in whatever career they choose, content creation will be critical as all professions need it to communicate better. There are also some skills offered by companies like Google online such as digital marketing and data analytics that they can enroll for and many are free of charge. Instead of simply watching Netflix, they can spend some of their time getting these skills. Money skills Ugandan schools don’t largely teach people money skills. We learn it when we start earning it and we make many mistakes. So if people learn about money when they are still young, they will make informed decisions later. So the kids taking this long break from academics, can be taught about money by ensuring they manage the budget at home. Send them to markets to buy items and manage the entire process. If they can work somewhere in a place where they have to deal with money, that is even better even if they aren’t paid a lot. Do you have a friend who runs a fuel station, supermarket or restaurant? Those are great training areas on acquiring some money skills but also gaining some work experience especially customer care service and even income if possible however little it can be. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

January 9, 2024

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch: Investing in the movie industry and its value chain could be the next big thing

By Denis Jjuuko About 30 years ago, a Ugandan soap opera captured the imagination of the nation, turning hitherto unknown actors and actresses into household names. Some like Sam Bagenda who was quoted over the weekend, the public doesn’t even know their real names. Where he turns, he is known as Dr Bbosa after the character he portrayed so well in the famous series, That’s Life Mwattu. Other series followed such as Bibaawo and Ekitobeero trying to capture the market created by the success of That’s Life Mwattu. Actors took to the stage and it seemed a new industry was born. But it seemed the success of Ugandan TV shows were always short lived. Foreign soaps such as Sunset Beach, Generations, and Isidingo would always interrupt the flow, leaving Ugandan actors to only perform in poorly attended theatres. South American telenovelas and even Philippine ones have of recent been the rage. But it seems there is a revival of the Ugandan TV soaps. You have probably heard the kids in the neighborhood singing Sanyu Sanyu nkwagala, a theme song for the Sanyu series on one of the pay TV channels. Or you have been incessantly called to remind you that the “TV has been cut off yet Sanyu Sanyu Nkwagala is about to start, please pay up.” Sanyu revolves around a young fashion designer who marries into the extremely rich Kirunda family that runs the country’s biggest fashion enterprise. Kirunda, a cunning businessman or criminal depending on how you look at things is played by Abbey Mukiibi of the Kalisoliiso Crew. It is a well-crafted script and the production is good. It isn’t only Sanyu that is keeping soap lovers captivated. There is also Ssuubi, a domestic worker working for the family of coffee mogul Kaaya. Kaaya is played by renown actor Andrew Benon Kibuuka of the Bakayimbira fame. It also features visual artist and former Buganda Kingdom minister Owek Nuwa Wamala Nnyanzi. And of course, Comedy Factory and its Mzigo Express. The production of Ssuubi or Mzigo Express is as good as Sanyu even though sometimes the casting could have been better. There are several other Ugandan TV series and lovers can be hooked on TV the entire weekday evening. Of course, there are also some poorly done ones I have watched but there is no need to dwell on them. Even though these series are featuring many known faces, there are many actors and actresses I am seeing for the very first time and they are good at what they are doing. Many are young and smart and the future for the industry seems to be bright. Like I have argued before, the creative industry can employ millions of young people. There are 71 licensed TV stations in the country and hundreds of radio stations, most of which lack content. Audio dramas targeting mobile phone users could also be made. And of course, the internet opens many opportunities. Many young people already earn a living creating content on YouTube and TikTok. X, formerly Twitter, recently started paying verified users (may not be yet possible in Uganda though). However, some of the creators on platforms like TikTok produce bizarre videos in a bid to bait followers to watch them. Many such creators lack the skills and talent to write creative scripts and of course acting them out. I don’t think they will stay in the industry for long. So, there is a need to train more script writers and production crews if this is to work and most importantly create distribution channels and systems so the content can reach the target market. The training doesn’t necessarily have to be through formal education where people get degrees and such certificates. Hands on training would create the numbers necessary today to get these young people quickly into work. The emphasize must be on original content and not necessarily on recycling or even copying jokes like some standup comedians do. It also doesn’t have to be vulgar or tribal to sell either. What channels through which would this content be distributed? What synergies can be made? In Nollywood, Nigeria’s highflying film industry, it is estimated that each movie employs approximately 100 people from pre-production to movie production to post production. Nearly 3,000 movies are produced annually in Nollywood, which translates into approximately 300,000 jobs a year. Generally, a million people work in Nollywood. According to Business Day, a Nigerian newspaper, Nollywood contributes 2.3% of the country’s GDP. Nigeria is Africa’s biggest economy. Africa’s film and entertainment industry has the potential to create 20 million jobs and US$20 billion annually by 2025 according to UNESCO. This won’t happen on its own. Deliberate efforts will be needed for the industry to thrive. If you are looking for where to invest, what about the movie industry and its value chain? The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

December 19, 2023

Out to Lunch

#OutToLunch: Chanel mobile money interest payments to pension savings

By Denis Jjuuko Some old people in Uganda receive some Shs25,000 a month from the government to enable them to “afford life.” The people who are involved in this activity claim that the elderly on this program look forward to this money as it enables them pay for some household needs. Most people would like and even pray every single day to live long lives. I don’t know though how many would love to survive on this Shs25,000 (US$6.5) a month. Nevertheless, one is better than zero. Uganda’s workforce stands at more than 18 million people today. The majority of these people will in about 30 years retire from their jobs either because they have reached their age for retirement or too old to hustle. Most of these people today are unsalaried and will remain so for all their working lives as they work in the so-called informal sector. Even though most of these people will not be able to kuyiriba (hustle), many will still be alive given the improvements in medical treatment technologies, availability of information and living generally better lifestyles. The challenge they will face will be consistent income. For decades, many people banked on their children to look after them during retirement especially those that managed to pay school fees for these offspring. Although that may have worked in the past, it is one sure way of suffering as you wait for the benevolence of the children, who themselves may not have much or may prefer to spend their money elsewhere. We are increasingly becoming capitalistic. The social system that most people in Africa depended on is getting broken as the continent urbanizes. And if millions of people retire or unable to work every year, the government cannot be able to pay those on regular pension (retired civil servants), those being retrenched from public service and the elderly. Even if they pay, the Shs25,000 a month is too little to enable anyone live a decent life. Uganda isn’t the only country that has this problem. Africa is the youngest continent where the median age is 19 but with a working population of 788 million people. Like Uganda, the majority of these people will be retiring in 20-30 years. Again, like Uganda, the majority of these people (600 million) have no pension savings. When they retire, they will become destitute. In Uganda, employers are supposed to contribute to NSSF for their workers but the reality is that many people in informal jobs can’t do this. We are known as the most entrepreneurial country in the world but the majority of these entrepreneurs are kuyiriba-ring such as hawking, being paid for work done or per a day etc. Just study those who claim to own online shops or the guy slashing your compound where he comes once a week during the rainy season and maybe once a month during the dry season. Who will pay his NSSF? They may be catered for in the law but the reality is different. What needs to be done is to create systems that can enable people to save by seeing the benefits of it. Many people are increasingly becoming members of village saving schemes, saccos or investment clubs (building societies), and Nigiina (where people raise money for one person on a regular basis until every member has received their share) among others. But these are usually short term and not looking at pension 15 or 30 years later. I recently attended the African Pension Supervisors Association (APSA) conference and as experts debated pathways to sustainable inclusive pension in Africa, I kept on thinking about mobile money and how it can revolutionarize pension in Africa. Periodically, I receive some mobile money. Little amounts. Last month, I got Shs2,695 as interest payment. There about 40 million mobile money users in Uganda. There are two major mobile money companies in Uganda and they each pay out an average of Shs5 billion per a quarter to customers like me. That is Shs10 billion every three months. In a year, that is Shs40 billion on average. Imagine if this money was instead of sending it directly to me, they opened a pension account for me linked to my National ID where it is saved and invested? Growing at a net income of about 12% annually, this pension scheme would bring in Shs4.8 billion in net profit in the first year. If you compound this for 15-30 years and telcos contributing every quarter, many people would be able to retire with something. It can also be linked to the national health insurance scheme and allow each member to voluntarily contribute. It would require innovative incentives to work such as withdraws of a certain percentage every five years or funeral covers for parents, spouses or offspring. The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com

December 19, 2023