Cop who hawked mandazi makes it as best arts student in Makerere
HE has worn several distinctive faces. That boy who hawked mandazi (doughnuts) in Kyenjojo. The one who was tagged a school drop-out. His mother brewed alcohol to sustain the family.
By Francis Kagolo
HE has worn several distinctive faces. That boy who hawked mandazi (doughnuts) in Kyenjojo. The one who was tagged a school drop-out. His mother brewed alcohol to sustain the family.
As an adult, the murky storyline continued. He was that cleaner in Kyenjonjo local government office, the sweaty AK 47-wielding cop who chased criminals in Kyenjonjo town during the day, guarded banks at night and took refuge in a unipot.
After years of wading through the muddy waters, James Mugenyi can finally wear the sweetest smile, the one that comes with academic excellence.
On Wednesday January 21, Mugenyi emerged with the best performance in the faculty of arts, Makerere University, after scoring a cumulative grade point average of 4.74 out of 5.0.
On several occasions, he dropped out of school due to financial constraints, but hustled to make it to university. “I was born in a peasant family. My mother sold local brew while my father was a farm squatter,†he narrates.
“My mother endured a lot to bring me up. She used her meagre earnings from sale of enguli (local potent gin) to meet my needs. That time there was no UPE, so she paid all my fees. But after Primary Six, she could no longer afford school fees,†he says.
As a 13-year-old, Mugenyi realised that making the most of his life was going to be his own uphill task. He did petty jobs with a profound belief that education was the key to success. He sold chicken to raise school fees and managed to study until Senior Two.
“I used to buy at least three cocks from the villages per weekend. I sold them in the nearby markets and managed to cater for my education temporarily,†he recalls proudly.
However, as fate would have it, even the chicken business was not lucrative enough to enable him complete his education.
Without any viable capital, he opted for a quick way to make money. He started making mandazi. As a hawker, this was the ultimate test. The doughnuts sold at sh100 each. He had to eat, look for where to sleep after a day’s trek and withstand the street life challenges.
Some people did not pay for the mandazi, while others sought to rob him of his day’s income and then there was the law to contend with.
“I hawked mandazi before and after classes. In a day, I could sell about 20 and earn sh2,000.†As a supplementary, he took a job as a farm squatter.
Despite all his efforts, his livelihood looked like a pendulum swing bob, moving back-and-forth without any progress.
After O’Level, the challenges increased and he could not continue with the education dream. His father had passed on in 2001. He had managed to score a second grade in his Uganda Certificate of Education final examinations.
He contemplated joining a primary teachers college, but could not raise the sh850,000 that was being charged per term.
“After my O’ Level in 1998, I failed to join A’ Level since my mother, who was the only bread winner for the family, was unable to pay fees from the local brew she sold,†he narrates.
He got a job as an office cleaner at the Kyenjojo local government office where he earned sh50,000 per month.
The salary was little, he says. He could not afford to save a penny.
This was when he resolved to join the Uganda Police Force. “In the Police, I earned sh150,000. But being the first person in the family to study, my relatives thought I had gainful employment. I used some of this income to feed my relatives.â€
After serving the Police force for barely a year, he made the decision to go back to school. He joined A’ Level while at the same time serving at Kyenjojo Police station. His busy schedule as a Police officer, meant he had limited time to go to class.
“I relied on the selflessness of fellow students whose notes I borrowed,†he says. “I bought some pamphlets using part of the salary I earned as a Police officer.â€
In 2004, he registered to sit for Uganda Advanced Certificate in Education exams, at Maddox Secondary School in Butiiti sub-county, Kyenjojo. This effort paid off as he topped Kyenjojo district with aggregate 16.
He clutched on this feat with crossed fingers determined to gain admission to Makerere University on the unpredictable district quota system.
As fate had it, even at the university, his life was not any better. In order to get money to photocopy notes and other academic upkeep, he always sold his meal cards to private-sponsored students.
He fed on Kikomando (a mixture of chapatti and beans) earning him the name Mr. Kikomando. He had walked that tough lane and was ready to dare for more.
He stood for guild presidency in 2007 and lost to Susan Abbo. His candidature was painted with another nickname, Mr. Rolex.
It is Mr. Rolex that Abbo later entrusted as her guild vice president. Mugenyi was born to Grace Kabakuma and James Bagambaki of Rwitengya village, Kyenjojo district in 1979.
He studied in Rwitengya Primary School between 1988 and 1994. He then joined Kyenjojo Secondary School for O’ Level between 1995 and 1998. Between 1999 and 2003, he did not study because of lack of school fees.
He joined Makerere University and for a Bachelor of Arts. He is currently the community liaison officer at Kyenjojo Police Station.
Having gone through a life of challenges like having no food to eat or no money, Mugenyi believes that certain things are only difficult to achieve, but never impossible.
He attributes his success to the people who ridiculed him during challenging times. They gave him inspiration to to work harder, beat them and to succeed.
Now a minister for youth, education and sports in Toro kingdom, he wishes to support the deprived.
“I have had enough experience living with poverty. As an example and a leader,I have to find ways to mobilise help for those in the same situation,†he says.
HE has worn several distinctive faces. That boy who hawked mandazi (doughnuts) in Kyenjojo. The one who was tagged a school drop-out. His mother brewed alcohol to sustain the family.
As an adult, the murky storyline continued. He was that cleaner in Kyenjonjo local government office, the sweaty AK 47-wielding cop who chased criminals in Kyenjonjo town during the day, guarded banks at night and took refuge in a unipot.
After years of wading through the muddy waters, James Mugenyi can finally wear the sweetest smile, the one that comes with academic excellence.
On Wednesday January 21, Mugenyi emerged with the best performance in the faculty of arts, Makerere University, after scoring a cumulative grade point average of 4.74 out of 5.0.
On several occasions, he dropped out of school due to financial constraints, but hustled to make it to university. “I was born in a peasant family. My mother sold local brew while my father was a farm squatter,†he narrates.
“My mother endured a lot to bring me up. She used her meagre earnings from sale of enguli (local potent gin) to meet my needs. That time there was no UPE, so she paid all my fees. But after Primary Six, she could no longer afford school fees,†he says.
As a 13-year-old, Mugenyi realised that making the most of his life was going to be his own uphill task. He did petty jobs with a profound belief that education was the key to success. He sold chicken to raise school fees and managed to study until Senior Two.
“I used to buy at least three cocks from the villages per weekend. I sold them in the nearby markets and managed to cater for my education temporarily,†he recalls proudly.
However, as fate would have it, even the chicken business was not lucrative enough to enable him complete his education.
Without any viable capital, he opted for a quick way to make money. He started making mandazi. As a hawker, this was the ultimate test. The doughnuts sold at sh100 each. He had to eat, look for where to sleep after a day’s trek and withstand the street life challenges.
Some people did not pay for the mandazi, while others sought to rob him of his day’s income and then there was the law to contend with.
“I hawked mandazi before and after classes. In a day, I could sell about 20 and earn sh2,000.†As a supplementary, he took a job as a farm squatter.
Despite all his efforts, his livelihood looked like a pendulum swing bob, moving back-and-forth without any progress.
After O’Level, the challenges increased and he could not continue with the education dream. His father had passed on in 2001. He had managed to score a second grade in his Uganda Certificate of Education final examinations.
He contemplated joining a primary teachers college, but could not raise the sh850,000 that was being charged per term.
“After my O’ Level in 1998, I failed to join A’ Level since my mother, who was the only bread winner for the family, was unable to pay fees from the local brew she sold,†he narrates.
He got a job as an office cleaner at the Kyenjojo local government office where he earned sh50,000 per month.
The salary was little, he says. He could not afford to save a penny.
This was when he resolved to join the Uganda Police Force. “In the Police, I earned sh150,000. But being the first person in the family to study, my relatives thought I had gainful employment. I used some of this income to feed my relatives.â€
After serving the Police force for barely a year, he made the decision to go back to school. He joined A’ Level while at the same time serving at Kyenjojo Police station. His busy schedule as a Police officer, meant he had limited time to go to class.
“I relied on the selflessness of fellow students whose notes I borrowed,†he says. “I bought some pamphlets using part of the salary I earned as a Police officer.â€
In 2004, he registered to sit for Uganda Advanced Certificate in Education exams, at Maddox Secondary School in Butiiti sub-county, Kyenjojo. This effort paid off as he topped Kyenjojo district with aggregate 16.
He clutched on this feat with crossed fingers determined to gain admission to Makerere University on the unpredictable district quota system.
As fate had it, even at the university, his life was not any better. In order to get money to photocopy notes and other academic upkeep, he always sold his meal cards to private-sponsored students.
He fed on Kikomando (a mixture of chapatti and beans) earning him the name Mr. Kikomando. He had walked that tough lane and was ready to dare for more.
He stood for guild presidency in 2007 and lost to Susan Abbo. His candidature was painted with another nickname, Mr. Rolex.
It is Mr. Rolex that Abbo later entrusted as her guild vice president. Mugenyi was born to Grace Kabakuma and James Bagambaki of Rwitengya village, Kyenjojo district in 1979.
He studied in Rwitengya Primary School between 1988 and 1994. He then joined Kyenjojo Secondary School for O’ Level between 1995 and 1998. Between 1999 and 2003, he did not study because of lack of school fees.
He joined Makerere University and for a Bachelor of Arts. He is currently the community liaison officer at Kyenjojo Police Station.
Having gone through a life of challenges like having no food to eat or no money, Mugenyi believes that certain things are only difficult to achieve, but never impossible.
He attributes his success to the people who ridiculed him during challenging times. They gave him inspiration to to work harder, beat them and to succeed.
Now a minister for youth, education and sports in Toro kingdom, he wishes to support the deprived.
“I have had enough experience living with poverty. As an example and a leader,I have to find ways to mobilise help for those in the same situation,†he says.