How Bukenya has built a multi-million dollar procurement business at 30

As early as primary school,Guster Bukenya, now 30; borrowed his mother's wedding material to do some of the small decoration jobs that his mother had rejected because they were not profitable. She was a decorator.

 "I and my siblings would go and work with and for her whenever she was hired to decorate at an event. Through that engagement, I eventually learned the art of decoration," he narrates.

In December 2002, while Bukenya was in his S$ vacation, his uncle from abroad sent self-help books to his mother. One of them was Robert Kiyosaki's book, Rich Dad Poor Dad, which he read.

Bukenya talks to Fred Ruhindi, the Attorney General (2nd right), Ernesto Rubondo, the head, Petroleum Directorate in the ministry of energy and Ashley Williams of UK-based Gloval event partner at the international oil & gas summit at Kampala Serena Kampala recently.

"The book had different incites on life; different from the principles I acquired in school. My school always focused on academic excellence, not life skills. This book changed my understanding of life," Bukenya says.

That marked his turning point in life.

The book made it clear that academic excellence was not a prerequisite for success in life. Bukenya was so affected by this message that he did not want to continue with school, but rather briskly acquire a skill and get started on his entrepreneurship journey.

He went so far as trying to sell his new vision to his parents and other members of his family but was ignored.

Bukenya in his office

Barely out of his first year at university, he registered his first company, Image Care, to deal in artistic portraits and plunged headlong into the world of business struggling with one challenge after another.

 Today, Image Care Limited has grown into a lucrative equipment-procuring and engineering solutions provider with projects worth $3m under their belt with business partners the world over.

It has 16 permanent employees.