Balancing God’s work and private business

By Agnes Kyotalengerire

In toil and drudgery, night and day we worked, so as not to burden any of you. Not that we do not have the right. Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you, so that you might imitate us. In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat,” wrote Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians (2 Thessalonians 3:8-10).

And just as Paul instructed, Charles Nsubuga, a pastor of Amazing Grace Gospel Church in Mityana has followed in earnest. Unlike some pastors who sit back and feed off their flock, Nsubuga toils and drudges to eat from his sweat. He juggles the Lord’s work with his company, SESACO, a cottage industry producing Soy products.

“We meet every Friday evening and Sunday (as a church). I dedicate the rest of the days to my business, which is purely an independent venture from the church.”

Nsubuga’s passion for business blossomed in 1978 while working as a casual labourer at Mpoma Satellite, Mukono. He thought of ways to supplement his salary of sh400. “I watched my fellow workers move out to buy snacks. I realised that I could make money by selling them roasted groundnuts,” Nsubuga recalls.

Management gave him permission to sell groundnuts but the deal was contingent on his business not interfering with his work. After a month, Nsubuga was supplying groundnuts to other offices.

However, the war to remove Amin from power in 1979 forced him to return to his grandmother’s home in Katogo, Mukono. While there, he acquired lumbering skills, moved to Jinja, worked for Gospel Assembly Church and was transferred to Kenya. He returned in 1982. He became jobless. His mother offered him a locally made oven to bake cakes.

Nsubuga baked and supplied cakes to shops and markets in Jinja, where he was based. A few months later, his business had grown. “When business flourished, I opened outlets in Busia and Kampala.”

In 1987, Nsubuga registered his business under the names of SESACO (Service Save Company), which baked cakes and bread. However when his branch managers opened up competitive business outlets supplying similar products to the same customers, he closed shop and returned to Kampala in 1990. He got a job as a driver with Uganda Water and Sanitation. After saving up to sh90,000 in the first year, he resigned and resumed baking half cakes, roasted groundnuts and soybeans. His single room house doubled as a home and work place.

When his mother served him a cup of Soy beverage, he conceived a business idea that gave birth to SESACO, where he is the managing director. The company, located in Kyengera, six miles on Kampala-Masaka road, produces and packages a vast range of products like Soya cup, brown butter, soy millet and crunchy snacks like daddies, mummies (bagiya) and soya nuts.

From the business, he has educated his children and bought land, a car and built a house. He has also widely travelled to acquire business skills to improve the company that employs 80 people. Despite his achievements, Nsubuga has challenges. “I leased the premises where the factory stands for 7 years. The lease is ending this month.”

The businessman appeals to the government to allocate an industrial land for his cottage industry as he continues to juggle God’s work with business.