, Friday, August 8, 2014 19 COMMODITY MONEY: akasa P FOR THE ENTREPRENEUR IN YOU A TASTE OF SUCCESS

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Mutebi holds one of the pavers he makes. His father ensured he studied a course related to building materials to enable him take over KIWA business with sh1.5m? Roy Jude Mutebi is the managing director of KIWA Industries, a leading building material industry in Nakawa Industrial Area. The company is worth over sh8b and employs 40 people. Mutebi is also the managing director of W.K Properties, a warehouse business 20 located in Nalukolongo, Kampala. Whereas he did not start KIWA Industries, Mutebi has steered it toward success following the death of his father, Paul Wasswa, the founder, 10 years ago. Mutebi is a living example of what a proper succession plan can achieve after the owner of the business passes on, write ELVIS BASUDDE and SEBIDDE KIRYOWA SKILLS UP FOR GRABS: I owe my success to dad Take your pick Early life them for a profi t. I was born in 1973 in , a Kampala During the process of constructing houses, suburb, to Rose and Paul Wasswa. I am the Fact file the friends often found diffi culty procuring third of seven children. My father was a sales roof tiles from Clays, , the sole 21 KIWA is an acronym for Kisitu (Francis) manager with Caltex Oil Uganda Limited and and Wasswa (Paul), the two partners suppliers then. Being a monopoly, there was a my mother was a teacher with the Aga Khan who started the industry. But Kisitu high demand for Uganda Clays’ products and schools. died before the industry became one often had to wait for months after paying I went to Kabojja Junior Primary School operational in 1991. to take delivery of the roof tiles. Frustrated, (P.1-P.4) and Savio Junior School in some people resorted to importing roof tiles (P.5-P.7). In 1986, I joined St. Mary’s The business was started after the from Kenya where a company called Mareba College, Kisubi for my secondary school two, who were into the real estate and manufactured them. and completed in 1992. I then went to the construction business then, found Rather than import, my father came up with a University of Edinburgh, Scotland, in the UK, plan to become the other provider of roof tiles BUDDING where I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Clays, Kajjansi, then sole suppliers of to save Ugandans from the frustration. He sold engineering. the idea to Kisitu, who bought it. Using savings ENTREPRENEUR: The from their hardware and real estate businesses, Background of KIWA Industries Roy Jude Mutebi, the son of Wasswa, coupled with external fi nancing, they decided 23-year-old In 1986, my father and his long-time friend, to venture into roof tile manufacture. They Francis Kisitu, pooled resources and got into ! opted to call their company KIWA (KI for Kisitu the hardware business. Over time, the business and WA for Wasswa) Industries. who earns expanded into a wholesale hardware shop on " Unfortunately, Kisitu was one of the 31 people sh2.5m Nabugabo Road, Kampala. # who perished in a passenger Later, the friends put up another hardware Scotland. He trained in roof tile plane crash in Rome on October 17, 1988. wholesale shop on South Street (now Ben He was on a trip to secure concrete roof tile monthly from Kiwanuka Street), called Jifra Trading Company $%& equipment they had ordered for. Limited. With time, they diversifi ed into real #' 24 fashion design estate business, building houses and selling Continued on Page 22-23