Young, loaded, not afraid to show it
Mar 11, 2011
A new crop of self-styled tycoons have taken Kampala by storm in the last few years. They are young and, unlike the more conservative older tycoons, are not afraid to show off their money. They splurge at will and often lead lavish lifestyles.
A new crop of self-styled tycoons have taken Kampala by storm in the last few years. They are young and, unlike the more conservative older tycoons, are not afraid to show off their money. They splurge at will and often lead lavish lifestyles. Because of this and the interest the public has consequently expressed in them, they attract an enviable amount of media attention making them bigger celebrities than many our showbiz personalities. Yet, their true source of income still puzzles the millions who idolize them. Who are these people? Pidson Kareire writes.
Sue Ochola
Susan Ochola has been a recognisable face on Kampala’s social circuit since 1990s — a true self-made celebrity. Today, she is more recognised because of a social fab known as Arab Money, yet nothing is attributed to her. Well, some time back, on one of her many exploits in London, Susan, attended a party by internationally acclaimed African-American rapper Kanye West as a personal guest. It is said that most of the Ugandans in attendance were left mouths agape, wondering where on earth Susan could have met the rapper.
Latifa Nalukenge aka Bad Black
At only 23, Bad Black has not even basked in celebrity limelight for a year. She first attracted media attention when she became the first girl to import and drive a brand new BMW X6, emerging as one of the most loaded babes in the city. What has partly kept her in the spotlight, however, is her association with Meddie Ssentongo, another flamboyant young spender.
Together, they have been known to splurge at a whim and throw oodles of money at revellers in clubs when excited or inebriated. The source of her money is mysterious. Some say the money she splashes around is actually Meddie Ssentongo’s. Black reportedly did not have much money until she met and starting dating Meddie.
Michael Ezra Mulyowa
Mike Ezra Michael Mulyoowa currently in the news for his financial muscle in Kenya, needs no introduction. He only makes this list because he started it all but he is strides ahead of all these people. He is arguably the wealthiest and most connected of this crop.
He has also been around the longest, dating as far back as the early 2000s. Ezra first made the newspapers as a young lanky businessman who reportedly owned a $30m house back in 2001.
He reappeared in the limelight in 2003 as a more chubby sports enthusiast. That is when he started flexing his financial muscle for all and sundry. He founded the Ezra Track Team Board (ETTB), a Kampala-based sports talent search agency.
He is also known for his generous donations towards sports causes in Uganda. His financial woes notwithstanding, he is still believed to be genuinely wealthy with assets outside Uganda.
Highlights: Ezra displayed what he claimed was 3m pounds; he gave a blank cheque to USPA; he chartered a plane to come watch a match at Namboole Stadium and placed in 60m pounds bid to buy Leeds United Football Club. The real source of his money, however, still remains a mystery.
Meddie Ssentongo
Like Mike Ezra, Meddie Ssentongo alias Tumusiime is another young Kampala tycoon whose source of money has not been clear to the public. Meddie and his business partners, whom the public regard as his girlfriends, recently shook Kampala with their splurging habits. Meddie owns a fleet of luxury cars all with personalized number plates; MEDDIE 5; MEDDIE 4; MEDDIE 3 etc.
He has been associated with rich Kyeyo girls Latifa “Bad Black†Nalukenge and Dorothy Muganga; whom he, however, says; are just casual friends and business partners, but not girlfriends. He came into the limelight three years ago when he had a misunderstanding with singer Jose Chameleone.
Sentongo reportedly run over the singer with his car then. He has since made amends. He recently gave the singer his BMW convertible (which he has since replaced with an even better version).
He also recently turned heads when he bought Michael Ezra’s Mercedes Benz Sedan registration Ezra 1 and changed it to Meddie 10. Meddie is also a strong supporter of the National Resistance Movement (NRM); he is even a chief advisor of the Yellow Movement Bus, meaning he is politically connected.
Rubeleto a.k.a Ronald Ssemakula
Engineer Ronald Semakula a.k.a Rubeleto of Rubeleto Construction, a real estate company, is also one of the new big spenders and new celebrity entrants. Like Meddie Ssentongo, the youthful Rubeleto owns a fleet of posh cars with customised registration which include a Mercedes Benz CLK 500 (R3) a Toyota V8 (R1) and a Prado (R2).
Every so often the tycoon offers free money and land to landless artistes. A few artistes who include Omulangira Suuna and Abdu Mulasi have gained from the tycoon’s generosity. Last year, Rubereto, who is kadongo kamu singer Mulaasi’s number one fan, gave him sh25m to shoot a music video titled Sweet Wakati.
The video includes his usual farm of women. The engineer assured the artistes that whoever proves that he or she has potential of producing a hit this year will get a piece of land worth sh12m. Like his new colleagues, he has just been discovered.
Tito Tong
Tito Tong of Tito and Brothers Uganda Ltd, is a businessman of Juba origin who is also taking Kampala by storm. He has now taken over Mitchell’s Bar and Restaurant in Ntinda.
The towering tycoon from Juba is fond of dishing out free dollars to revelers who include artistes. But unlike the rest of this new crop; he has a chain of bars in Kampala. He has been operating Monalisa Bar on Ben Kiwanuka Street, where popular artistes frequent.
But recently, he bought Mitchell’s bar. After he concluded the buying deal, he threw a bash for his four brothers who passed their PLE exams with flying colors. Tong gave each of the four brothers, fully internet connected laptops.
The mega bash attracted a bevy of babes from Kampala International University, where he is a student. Tito Tong has two black Toyota VX V8 extra with open-roof; the other person in Uganda with such cars is President Yoweri Museveni.
Zarinah Hussein a.k.a Zari
Zarina Hussein is known by her stage name Zari; she is a Ugandan Musician based in South Africa where she lives with her husband. She is an entrepreneur and a business lady in South Africa where she owns a tertiary college and cosmetics shop.
Zari and Ivan Semwanga own a house in Waterkloof Glen, in Pretoria in South Africa. She is a mish mash of blood. Her father is half Burundian and half Somali and her mother is half Indian and half Mutooro. The name Zari is short for Zarinah.
Although she sings, Zari is known more for her fancy and flamboyant lifestyle than her music. She drives various posh cars ranging from BMW, a Chrysler, convertible Merc CLK 500 and lately, an Audi Q7, all with customised number plates in series of Zari 4, Zari 3 and Zari 1. Zari and her husband, Ssemwanga are fond of throwing money at revellers in nightclubs out of excitement.
Dora Muganga
Dorothy Muganga is another new kid on the spending block. She came into the limelight three years ago after a misunderstanding in which she and Meddie (with whom she was in the car) ran over singer Jose Chameleone two years ago. Source of her money? Rumours of different sources abound but nothing we can prove.
Self-styled celebs
The other self-made celebrities include:
South African based businessmen,Ivan Ssemwanga (Zari’s husband); l Cheune who also drives BMW X6 with customised number plate in his name. l The other one is Kasyata, also a South African-based businessman, who owns BMW X6 with customised number plate in his name.
Sue Ochola
Susan Ochola has been a recognisable face on Kampala’s social circuit since 1990s — a true self-made celebrity. Today, she is more recognised because of a social fab known as Arab Money, yet nothing is attributed to her. Well, some time back, on one of her many exploits in London, Susan, attended a party by internationally acclaimed African-American rapper Kanye West as a personal guest. It is said that most of the Ugandans in attendance were left mouths agape, wondering where on earth Susan could have met the rapper.
Latifa Nalukenge aka Bad Black
At only 23, Bad Black has not even basked in celebrity limelight for a year. She first attracted media attention when she became the first girl to import and drive a brand new BMW X6, emerging as one of the most loaded babes in the city. What has partly kept her in the spotlight, however, is her association with Meddie Ssentongo, another flamboyant young spender.
Together, they have been known to splurge at a whim and throw oodles of money at revellers in clubs when excited or inebriated. The source of her money is mysterious. Some say the money she splashes around is actually Meddie Ssentongo’s. Black reportedly did not have much money until she met and starting dating Meddie.
Michael Ezra Mulyowa
Mike Ezra Michael Mulyoowa currently in the news for his financial muscle in Kenya, needs no introduction. He only makes this list because he started it all but he is strides ahead of all these people. He is arguably the wealthiest and most connected of this crop.
He has also been around the longest, dating as far back as the early 2000s. Ezra first made the newspapers as a young lanky businessman who reportedly owned a $30m house back in 2001.
He reappeared in the limelight in 2003 as a more chubby sports enthusiast. That is when he started flexing his financial muscle for all and sundry. He founded the Ezra Track Team Board (ETTB), a Kampala-based sports talent search agency.
He is also known for his generous donations towards sports causes in Uganda. His financial woes notwithstanding, he is still believed to be genuinely wealthy with assets outside Uganda.
Highlights: Ezra displayed what he claimed was 3m pounds; he gave a blank cheque to USPA; he chartered a plane to come watch a match at Namboole Stadium and placed in 60m pounds bid to buy Leeds United Football Club. The real source of his money, however, still remains a mystery.
Meddie Ssentongo
Like Mike Ezra, Meddie Ssentongo alias Tumusiime is another young Kampala tycoon whose source of money has not been clear to the public. Meddie and his business partners, whom the public regard as his girlfriends, recently shook Kampala with their splurging habits. Meddie owns a fleet of luxury cars all with personalized number plates; MEDDIE 5; MEDDIE 4; MEDDIE 3 etc.
He has been associated with rich Kyeyo girls Latifa “Bad Black†Nalukenge and Dorothy Muganga; whom he, however, says; are just casual friends and business partners, but not girlfriends. He came into the limelight three years ago when he had a misunderstanding with singer Jose Chameleone.
Sentongo reportedly run over the singer with his car then. He has since made amends. He recently gave the singer his BMW convertible (which he has since replaced with an even better version).
He also recently turned heads when he bought Michael Ezra’s Mercedes Benz Sedan registration Ezra 1 and changed it to Meddie 10. Meddie is also a strong supporter of the National Resistance Movement (NRM); he is even a chief advisor of the Yellow Movement Bus, meaning he is politically connected.
Rubeleto a.k.a Ronald Ssemakula
Engineer Ronald Semakula a.k.a Rubeleto of Rubeleto Construction, a real estate company, is also one of the new big spenders and new celebrity entrants. Like Meddie Ssentongo, the youthful Rubeleto owns a fleet of posh cars with customised registration which include a Mercedes Benz CLK 500 (R3) a Toyota V8 (R1) and a Prado (R2).
Every so often the tycoon offers free money and land to landless artistes. A few artistes who include Omulangira Suuna and Abdu Mulasi have gained from the tycoon’s generosity. Last year, Rubereto, who is kadongo kamu singer Mulaasi’s number one fan, gave him sh25m to shoot a music video titled Sweet Wakati.
The video includes his usual farm of women. The engineer assured the artistes that whoever proves that he or she has potential of producing a hit this year will get a piece of land worth sh12m. Like his new colleagues, he has just been discovered.
Tito Tong
Tito Tong of Tito and Brothers Uganda Ltd, is a businessman of Juba origin who is also taking Kampala by storm. He has now taken over Mitchell’s Bar and Restaurant in Ntinda.
The towering tycoon from Juba is fond of dishing out free dollars to revelers who include artistes. But unlike the rest of this new crop; he has a chain of bars in Kampala. He has been operating Monalisa Bar on Ben Kiwanuka Street, where popular artistes frequent.
But recently, he bought Mitchell’s bar. After he concluded the buying deal, he threw a bash for his four brothers who passed their PLE exams with flying colors. Tong gave each of the four brothers, fully internet connected laptops.
The mega bash attracted a bevy of babes from Kampala International University, where he is a student. Tito Tong has two black Toyota VX V8 extra with open-roof; the other person in Uganda with such cars is President Yoweri Museveni.
Zarinah Hussein a.k.a Zari
Zarina Hussein is known by her stage name Zari; she is a Ugandan Musician based in South Africa where she lives with her husband. She is an entrepreneur and a business lady in South Africa where she owns a tertiary college and cosmetics shop.
Zari and Ivan Semwanga own a house in Waterkloof Glen, in Pretoria in South Africa. She is a mish mash of blood. Her father is half Burundian and half Somali and her mother is half Indian and half Mutooro. The name Zari is short for Zarinah.
Although she sings, Zari is known more for her fancy and flamboyant lifestyle than her music. She drives various posh cars ranging from BMW, a Chrysler, convertible Merc CLK 500 and lately, an Audi Q7, all with customised number plates in series of Zari 4, Zari 3 and Zari 1. Zari and her husband, Ssemwanga are fond of throwing money at revellers in nightclubs out of excitement.
Dora Muganga
Dorothy Muganga is another new kid on the spending block. She came into the limelight three years ago after a misunderstanding in which she and Meddie (with whom she was in the car) ran over singer Jose Chameleone two years ago. Source of her money? Rumours of different sources abound but nothing we can prove.
Self-styled celebs
The other self-made celebrities include:
South African based businessmen,Ivan Ssemwanga (Zari’s husband); l Cheune who also drives BMW X6 with customised number plate in his name. l The other one is Kasyata, also a South African-based businessman, who owns BMW X6 with customised number plate in his name.