The man who makes a living from selling frames
Dec 07, 2003
THERE is a narrow corridor at Plot 23 B Luwuum Street. On both sides of the wall hang nice portraits of people, animals, landscape and the environment. Many people who pass by usually stop, gaze and admire the portraits . What attracts them most are the beautiful frames.
By Sarah Muwanga
THERE is a narrow corridor at Plot 23 B Luwuum Street. On both sides of the wall hang nice portraits of people, animals, landscape and the environment. Many people who pass by usually stop, gaze and admire the portraits . What attracts them most are the beautiful frames.
They are huge and well designed. The portraits in these frames include that of President Yoweri Museveni. There are several of the Virgin Mary and Jesus as a young man.
There are also pictures of various landscapes portraits, fruits, animals and local and international artists.
As people admire and wonder about the prices, three men sit on wooden stools busy framing the pictures. One of them is Bukenya Kunsa, the owner of the business who says he has been making frames since 1991.
Kunsa has a small workshop in Bwaise along Bombo Road where he cuts the wood into small pieces and shapes them. The wood is then taken to his store which doubles as an office on Luwuum Street, where the pieces are joined, coated with silver or gold paint. A piece of glasses is then attached to complete the frame.
Kunsa says he uses a soft wood locally known as ‘Nkango.’
“I use my tools to shape the designs but I also buy some materials from Asian shops to decorate the frames more elaborately. At first I used to sell empty frames but then became innovative and started looking for good looking pictures which I put in the frames and sold. In fact they sell better than the empty framesâ€, says the soft spoken, humble man.
Some of the pictures are done in the pencil. Kunsa says he has partners from different institutions who make these drawings and sell them to him at a reasonable prices. He also has friends abroad who send him portraits of celebrities and sometimes uses magazines.
“I take them to the photo studios and they are blown to the size I want,†he says. One of the pictures on display is that of renowned singer Shakira which costs between sh60,000 - sh70,000 depending on your bargaining power.
The prices for framed pictures range from sh 4000 to sh120,000. Kunsa also allows payment for pictures in installments.
Kunsa says he studied wood work and architecture at Lubiri Senior Secondary School but due to lack of school fees his studies where terminated at Senior Five.
“My father Vincent Kunsa, died when I was five years old. My mother Grace Senkatuuka did her best and I stopped at that level,†says the 30-years-old man. He says he worked in a printing press along William Street with his mother, but did not stay there for long, deciding to make frames instead.
“There were many people selling frames on the streets. So I said why not me! I used to make cheap, ordinary frames and sell two or three frames a day at sh200 each.â€
At one time he approached his colleagues in the business and asked them to form an association but they did not buy the idea.
He then decided to it alone. He got a licence from KCC, paid for his premises and named his business ‘B.K Photo Framing.’
Today, Bukenya employs three workers. He says he has managed to buy himself a plot of land from the proceeds he has made from selling frames.
Kunsa declined to comment about his family and about where he lives. However, he says he is the first born and has a sister. They are the only two children born of his father.
Kunsa grew up in Masaka and went to Mbute Primary School before going to Lubiri Senior Secondary School.
Ends
THERE is a narrow corridor at Plot 23 B Luwuum Street. On both sides of the wall hang nice portraits of people, animals, landscape and the environment. Many people who pass by usually stop, gaze and admire the portraits . What attracts them most are the beautiful frames.
They are huge and well designed. The portraits in these frames include that of President Yoweri Museveni. There are several of the Virgin Mary and Jesus as a young man.
There are also pictures of various landscapes portraits, fruits, animals and local and international artists.
As people admire and wonder about the prices, three men sit on wooden stools busy framing the pictures. One of them is Bukenya Kunsa, the owner of the business who says he has been making frames since 1991.
Kunsa has a small workshop in Bwaise along Bombo Road where he cuts the wood into small pieces and shapes them. The wood is then taken to his store which doubles as an office on Luwuum Street, where the pieces are joined, coated with silver or gold paint. A piece of glasses is then attached to complete the frame.
Kunsa says he uses a soft wood locally known as ‘Nkango.’
“I use my tools to shape the designs but I also buy some materials from Asian shops to decorate the frames more elaborately. At first I used to sell empty frames but then became innovative and started looking for good looking pictures which I put in the frames and sold. In fact they sell better than the empty framesâ€, says the soft spoken, humble man.
Some of the pictures are done in the pencil. Kunsa says he has partners from different institutions who make these drawings and sell them to him at a reasonable prices. He also has friends abroad who send him portraits of celebrities and sometimes uses magazines.
“I take them to the photo studios and they are blown to the size I want,†he says. One of the pictures on display is that of renowned singer Shakira which costs between sh60,000 - sh70,000 depending on your bargaining power.
The prices for framed pictures range from sh 4000 to sh120,000. Kunsa also allows payment for pictures in installments.
Kunsa says he studied wood work and architecture at Lubiri Senior Secondary School but due to lack of school fees his studies where terminated at Senior Five.
“My father Vincent Kunsa, died when I was five years old. My mother Grace Senkatuuka did her best and I stopped at that level,†says the 30-years-old man. He says he worked in a printing press along William Street with his mother, but did not stay there for long, deciding to make frames instead.
“There were many people selling frames on the streets. So I said why not me! I used to make cheap, ordinary frames and sell two or three frames a day at sh200 each.â€
At one time he approached his colleagues in the business and asked them to form an association but they did not buy the idea.
He then decided to it alone. He got a licence from KCC, paid for his premises and named his business ‘B.K Photo Framing.’
Today, Bukenya employs three workers. He says he has managed to buy himself a plot of land from the proceeds he has made from selling frames.
Kunsa declined to comment about his family and about where he lives. However, he says he is the first born and has a sister. They are the only two children born of his father.
Kunsa grew up in Masaka and went to Mbute Primary School before going to Lubiri Senior Secondary School.
Ends